FROM -THE- LIBRARY- OF- 
A.   W.   Ryder 


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THE  LIFE  OF 

PETER   THE    GREAT 

By  JOHN  BARROW,  Esa 


WITH   EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

By  henry  KETCHAM 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS 


**  Blush,  Art!  this  hero  owed  thee  nothing; 
Exult,  Nature !  for  this  prodigy  is  all  thy  own  V* 


A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,     jt     ^     ^     ^ 
J'      J'      J'      PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


iqo3 


Copyright,  1903, 
By  a.  L.  BURT  COMPANY. 

•  ••••"••••••   ••••••*•  ••      \_j     ^ 


PREFACE. 


The  author  or  compiler  of  the  following  Bio- 
graphical Memoir  has  done  little  more  than  bring 
together  and  arrange  the  scattered  fragments  of  his- 
tories, lives,  anecdotes,  and  notices,  in  manuscript 
or  in  print,  of  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  char- 
acters that  ever  appeared  on  the  great  theater  of 
the  world,  in  any  age  or  country :  a  being  full  of 
contradictions,  yet  consistent  in  all  that  he  did ;  a 
promoter  of  literature,  a^its,^  and  sciences,  yet  with- 
out education  himself^  the  civilizer  of  his  people, 
"  he  gave  a  polish;"  s^ys  Yixlt,a'ir8^'  ^i^okis  nation, 
and  was  himself  a  savage ;  "  he  taught  his  people 
the  art  of  war,  of  which  he  was  himself  ignorant ; 
from  the  first  glance  of  a  small  cock-boat,  at  the 
distance  of  five  hundred  miles  from  the  nearest  sea, 
he  became  an  expert  ship-builder,  created  a  power- 
ful fleet,  partly  constructed  with  his  own  hands, 
made  himself  an  active  and  expert  sailor,  a  skilful 
pilot,  a  great  captain :  in  short,  he  changed  the 
manners,  the  habits,  the  laws  of  the  people,  and  the 
ver}^  face  of  the  country. 

A  modern  French  writer  has  given  a  catalogue  of 
iii 


iV  PREFACE. 

no  less  than  ninety-five  authors  who  have  treated  of 
Peter  the  Great,  and  concludes  it  with  three  &c.'s. 
About  one-fourth  of  that  number  may  have  been  con- 
sulted on  the  present  occasion,  of  which  the  princi- 
pal ones  are  the  following : — 

Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand,  depuis  Vannee  1698 
jusqu'd  la  Conclusion  de  la  Paix  de  Neustadt. 
Ecritpar  Lui-meme. — This  remarkable  work  was 
intended  to  be  published  after  the  death  of  Peter, 
by  his  surviving  spouse,  the  Empress  Catharine; 
but  it  is  supposed  her  short  reign  put  a  stop  to  it. 
Her  namesake,  Catharine  II. ,  however,  caused  it 
to  be  published  at  Petersburg  in  the  year  1770,  and 
it  was  translated  and  published  at  Berlin  in  1773. 
It  contains  a  journal  of  all  his  military  movements, 
battles,  si'efgeS^  distfiibution' of  his  forces,  triumphs, 
promotions^— and,'  i'n^  sHoft,  ajl,  the  principal  trans- 
actions iti  '^i^biph  he  'W^s  engaged  during  the  period 
mejitioned  in  the  title-page.  The  simplicity  of  the 
narrative,  the  frank  avowal  of  the  mistakes  he  com- 
mitted, the  gratitude  he  constantly  expresses  to  the 
Supreme  Disposer  of  events,  in  his  reverses,  as  well 
as  in  his  successes — all  prove  the  perfect  sincerity  as 
well  as  the  truth  of  the  narrative.  To  the  historian 
of  his  military  progress  and  conquests  this  journal  of 
the  Emperor  must  always  be  invaluable. 

The  History  of  Peter  the  Great,  Emperor  of  Rus- 
sia. By  Alexander  Gordon  of  Achintoul,  several 
years  a  Major- General  in  the  Czar'^s  service, — Gen- 
eral Gordon  was  personally  acquainted  with  many 


PREFACE.  V 

of  the  exploits  of  the  Czar  Peter  narrated  in  his  his- 
tory. He  received  a  commission  from  him  as  major 
about  the  year  1693  or  1694,  was  speedily  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  and  was  present  at 
the  taking  of  Asoph  in  1698.  He  was  taken  prison- 
er at  the  battle  of  ISTarva,  and  sent  into  Sweden, 
where  he  was  detained  for  several  years.  On  his 
return,  he  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  major-gen- 
eral, and  sent  into  Poland ;  but  on  hearing  of  his 
father's  death,  he  obtained  permission  in  1711  to 
quit  the  Kussian  service  and  return  to  his  native 
country,  Scotland.  That  portion  only  of  his  work, 
therefore,  which  relates  to  the  period  when  he  was 
actually  in  service  can  be  considered  as  valuable ; 
the  rest  is  founded  on  authorities  already  published 
at  the  time  of  his  writing. 

Travels  from  St.  Petersburg  in  Russia  to  various 
parts  of  Asia.  By  John  Bell^  of  Antermony. — 
Honest  John  Bell  is  almost  proverbially  known  as 
the  most  faithful  of  travelers.  In  the  year  1719 
he  was  attached,  in  a  medical  capacity,  to  an  em- 
bassy sent  by  Peter  the  Great  to  Kang-hee,  Em- 
peror of  China,  and  published  a  very  interesting 
account  of  the  journey  and  the  transactions  of  the 
mission  in  Pekin.  In  the  year  1722  he  accompanied 
the  army  of  Russia,  under  the  immediate  command 
of  the  Czar  Peter,  to  the  shores  of  the  Caspian,  of 
which  journey  he  published  a  ''  Succinct  Relation," 
containing  some  curious  and  interesting  incidents, 
relating  to    that   campaign,    connected    with    the 


Vi  PREFACE. 

manners  and  character  of  Peter  and  Catharine,  who 
accompanied  him. 

Memoirs  of  Peter  Henry  Bruce^  Esq. ,  a  milita/ry 
officer  in  the  services  of  Prussia^  Pussia^  and  Great 
Britain  y  containing  an  account  of  his  travels^  c&c.  / 
as  also  several  very  interesting  jprivate  anecdotes  of 
the  Czar  Peter  I.  of  Russia. — Mr.  Bruce  tells  us 
his  Journal  was  originally  written  in  German,  his 
native  language,*  and  that  in  the  year  1755,  on  his 
retirement,  he  translated  it  into  English.  In  1782 
it  was  published  for  the  benefit  of  his  widow.  Cap- 
tain Bruce  had  many  opportunities  of  seeing  and 
knowing  a  great  deal  of  the  Czar  and  his  family. 
He  served  as  military  instructor  to  the  son  of  the 
unfortunate  Czarovitz  Alexis,  was  aid-de-camp  to 
General  Weyde,  and  accompanied  the  Czar  on  his 
expedition  to  the  shores  of  the  Caspian,  which  sea 
he  circumnavigated,  and  surveyed  its  coasts.  His 
narrative  is  written  with  great  simplicity,  if  not 
with  scrupulous  accuracy — the  language  being  some- 
what loose,  and  the  dates  not  always  correct. 
There  are  several  passages  in  his  book  which  must 
have  been  transcribed,  either  by  himself  or  his 
publisher,  from  preceding  authors ;  but  those  portions 
which  describe  what  he  witnessed  in  his  own  person 
are  highly  interesting,  and  worthy  of  all  credit. 

Memoires  du  Regne  de  Pierre  le  Grand.,  Em- 
pereur  de  Bussie,  Pere  de  la  Patrie,  dbc.     Par  le 

*  His  father  was  in  the  service  of  Prussia,  where  he  was 
borUf 


PREFACE. 


Vll 


Boyar  Iwan  Nestesuranoi.  4  vols.  Amsterdam, 
1726. — Though  this  work  bears  a  fictitious  name, 
it  is,  notwithstanding,  perfectly  genuine  and  au- 
thentic ;  and  being  published  in  the  year  after  the 
death  of  Peter  the  Great,  and  while  Catharine  and 
Menzikoff  were  still  living,  it  may  be  considered  the 
very  first  History  of  Peter  the  Great,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  some  brief  notices  by  Webber.  Neste- 
suranoi is  meant  as  the  anagram  of  Jean  Rousset, 
his  real  name.  This  gentleman  fled  from  France  to 
Amsterdam,  on  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantz. 
He  was  a  most  indefatigable  compiler,  journalist, 
historian,  politician,  and  controversialist.  For  his 
History  of  the  Life  of  Peter,  he  was  made  by  the 
court  of  Russia  a  counsellor  of  the  imperial  chan- 
cery ;  and  for  taking  up  the  cause  of  the  Prince  of 
Orange,  was  created  counsellor  extraordinary  and 
historiographer  to  the  stadtholder. 

The  History  of  the  Life  of  Peter  I. ,  Emperor  of 
Russia.  By  John  Mottley^  JEsq. — John  Mottley 
was  the  son  of  Colonel  Mottley,  who  followed  the 
fortunes  of  King  James  II.  into  France ;  from  writ- 
ing miscellaneous  and  dramatic  pieces  for  his  amuse- 
ment, he  was,  in  consequence  of  his  father's  misfor- 
tunes, compelled  to  use  his  pen  for  a  maintenance ; 
and  his  productions  met  with  the  patronage  of  Queen 
Caroline  and  the  court.  His  Life  of  Peter  the  Great 
is,  in  many  parts  of  it,  a  translation  of  the  work  of 
l^estesuranoi,  with  the  addition  of  several  incidents 
and  anecdotes,  and  also  of  many  official  and  other 


Vlll 


PREFACE. 


documents,  compiled  from  the  journals  of  the  day. 
It  went  through  two  editions, — the  first,  a  folio,  in 
one  volume ;  the  second,  a  small  octavo,  in  three 
volumes. 

History  of  the  Russian  Empire  under  Peter  the 
Great,  ByM.de  Voltaire. — This  celebrated  writer 
would  appear  to  have  been  unjustly  censured  with 
regard  to  this  history :  it  has  been  called  a  romance, 
a  tissue  of  idle  stories  and  anecdotes  not  founded  in 
fact,  and  a  systematic  suppression  of  the  truth.  In 
the  perusal  of  a  multitude  of  authors,  the  compiler 
can  safely  assert  that,  as  far  as  concerns  the  facts 
stated  by  Yoltaire,  he  has  authority  for  all  of  them ; 
his  opinions  are,  of  course,  his  own.  But  he  is  ac- 
cused by  the  Russians  of  not  having  made  use  of 
half  the  manuscripts  he  received  by  order  of  the 
Empress  Catharine.  The  chamberlain,  Schowalof, 
demanded  of  him  by  letter, — 1st.  Why  he  had  only 
made  use  of  so  small  a  portion  of  the  rich  materials 
sent  to  him? — 2d.  Why  he  had  mutilated  the  facts 
stated  in  the  manuscripts;  and  why  he  had  not 
made  use  of  the  anecdotes  (Staehlin's)  in  his  posses- 
sion? And,  3d.  Why  he  had  omitted  the  names 
of  several  great  persons,  and  so  disfigured  those  he 
had  been  pleased  to  name,  that  they  were  scarcely 
to  be  distinguished  as  the  persons  intended? 

To  the  first  question  Yoltaire  answered,  that  it 
was  not  his  custom  to  copy  implicitly  any  manu- 
scripts that  might  be  sent  to  him.  To  the  second, 
that  he  must  be  governed  by  the  best  information 


PREFACE.  ix 

he  could  procure ;  that  the  private  life  of  Peter  did 
not  come  within,  the  limits  of  his  plan,  and  conse- 
quently the  anecdotes  were  not  available ;  and,  as 
to  the  third  reproach,  he  sarcastically  observes,  ' '  as 
far  as  relates  to  the  disfiguring  of  the  proper  names, 
I  suppose  it  is  a  German  who  reproaches  me  with 
it. — I  wi^h  him  more  wit  and  fewer  consonants. " 

The  Journal  of  Peter  the  Great  was  sent  to  Yol- 
taire  in  manuscript,  and  whenever  he  has  made  use 
of  it  he  has  done  so  faithfully  and  accurately.  But 
he  is  highly  blameable  in  casting  a  stigma  on  what 
he  calls  ' '  pretended  histories  of  Peter  the  Great, 
most  of  which  have  been  compiled  from  gazettes;  " 
and  his  designating  ' '  that  which  was  printed  at 
Amsterdam,  in  four  volumes,  under  the  name  of  the 
Boyar  [N'estesuranoi, "  as  ^'one  of  those  impositions 
too  frequently  practised  by  booksellers. ' '  The  name 
is  certainly  an  imposition,  as  we  have  noticed ;  but 
all  the  documents  it  contains,  and  the  history  con- 
nected with,  and  drawn  from,  those  documents,  are 
authentic.  But  that  which  renders  Yoltaire  the 
more  blameable  in  his  censure  is,  that  the  founda- 
tion of  his  own  history,  the  arrangement,  and  in 
many  places  the  language,  are  drawn  from  this  said 
work  of  IS'estesuranoi,  and  his  copyist  Colonel  John 
Mottley.  This  is  disingenuous,  and  unworthy  the 
high  character  of  Yoltaire. 

Ruslcmd  en  de  Nederla/nden  Beschoud  in  dersel/ver 
Wederheerige  Betrekkingen  door  Mr.  Jacobus  Schel- 
tema,     4  vols. — These  volumes  contain  chiefly  an 


X  PREFACE. 

historical  account  of  the  commercial  intercourse  be- 
tween Holland  and  Russia,  from  its  commencement 
to  the  death  of  Peter  the  Great.  This  work  is  chiefly 
interesting  from  the  details  given  of  the  conduct  and 
proceedings  of  this  extraordinary  man  during  his 
residence  in  Holland,  taken  from  authentic  docu- 
ments, and  particularly  from  NoomeTh^s  Diary  of  the 
Residence  of  the  Czar  Peter  at  Zaandam.  It  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  translated  either  intq 
French  or  English. 

Original  Anecdotes  of  Peter  the  Great^  collected 
from  the  conversation  of  several  persons  of  distinction 
at  Petersburg  and  Moscow.  By  M.  Stwhlin^  meniber 
of  the  Imperial  Academy  at  Petersburg. — About  ten 
years  after  the  death  of  Peter  the  Great,  that  is  in 
the  year  1735,  M.  Stashlin  was  invited  to  fill  a  seat 
in  the  Academy  of  Sciences  at  Petersburg.  He 
lived  at  the  house  of  the  Count  of  Lynar,  envoy- 
extraordinary  from  King  Augustus  of  Poland  to 
the  court  of  Russia,  where  he  tells  us  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  many  persons  of  distinction,  as  well 
foreigners  as  Russians,  several  of  whom  had  not  only 
served  in  the  fleet  and  army,  or  held  civil  employ- 
ments under  Peter  the  Great,  but  had  also  been 
much  about  his  person.  He  was  likewise  honored 
with  the  appointment  of  tutor,  and  afterward  libra- 
rian, to  the  Great  Duke  Peter  Feodorovitz.  These 
situations  afforded  him  opportunities  of  collecting 
anecdotes  concerning  the  manners,  character,  and 
actions,  both  as  regarded  the  public  and  private 


PREFACE. 


XI 


life  of  the  Czar  Peter ;  they  amount  in  number  to 
more  than  one  hundred,  many  of  which  are  highly 
interesting,  and  well  vouched  for  by  most  respect- 
able authorities. 

In  addition  to  these  were  consulted,  the  Trowels 
of  Mr.  Coxe  /  the  History  of  Russia  hy  Toohe  /  La 
Biographie  Universelle ;  the  works  of  Le  General 
Compte  de  Segur^  La  Combe^  Fontenelle^  Levesque 
&c. ;  from  which  such  passages  only  were  selected 
as  tended  to  confirm  the  statements  made  by  other 
authorities.  It  will  be  obvious  that,  out  of  such  a 
mass  of  materials,  and  in  so  small  a  volume,  the 
great  leading  points  only  of  the  life  and  transactions 
of  such  a  personage  as  Peter  the  Great  could  be 
comprehended,  and  of  these  few  it  is  hoped,  will  be 
found  to  have  been  omitted. 


CONTENTS. 


Preface iii 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  Birth  of  the  Czar  Peter  I.— The  Intrigues  of  his 
Family — Revolt  of  the  Strelitzes  or  Russian  Janizaries 
— ^The  Regency  of  Sophia — The  Czar  ascends  the  Throne.      1 

CHAPTER  n. 

The  Czar  creates  a  Navy,  and  new-models  his  Army — Le 
Fort — Menzikoff — Gordon — First  Attack  on  Azof  fails — 
The  second  succeeds — Conspiracy  discovered  and  de- 
feated   31 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Czar  Peter  travels  into  Holland — His  Residence  at 
Zaandam 50 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Czar  Peter  visits  England 77 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Czar  inflicts  dreadful  Punishment  on  the  Conspirators 
— Commences  his  System  of  Reform — Death  of  Le  Fort 
— Prepares  a  large  Fleet  at  Voronitz,  on  the  Don — Com- 
mences a  War  with  Sweden 118 

xiii 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Battle  of  Narva — Peter's  Success  against  the  Swedes 

—History  of  Catharine 142 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Continued  Successes  over  the  Swedes— Peter  lays  the 
Foundation  of  St.  Petersburg— His  Saxon  Ally  deprived 
of  the  Crown  of  Poland — Takes  Dorpt,  and  Narva,  and 
Mittau — Augustus  makes  Peace  with  Charles — Disgrace- 
ful Conduct  of  the  former — Seizure  and  inhuman  Death 
of  Patkul — Masterly  Maneuver  of  Peter — Position  of 
the  Russian  and  Swedish  Armies 169 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Battle  of  Poltava 200 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Battle  of  the  Pruth 224 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Czar's  Naval  Victory  over  the  Swedes — Rejoicings — 

A    Russian   Entertainment — Death  of   the  Consort  of 

Alexis — The  Czarina  Catharine  brings  Peter  a  Son — 

Strange  Rejoicings — Progressive  Improvements  at  St. 

Petersburg 252 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Charles  XII.  returns  to  Sweden — The  Czar  visits  Holland, 
France,  and  Prussia 287 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Trial,   Condemnation,  and  Death  of  the  Czarovitz 
Alexis 307 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Peace  of  Neustadt— Peter  entreated  to  accept  the 


CONTENTS.  XV 

PAGE 

Titles  of  Emperor,  Great,  and  Father  of  his  Country — 
Several  new  Institutions  and  Manufactories  established 
— An  Embassy  sent  to  China — Assemblies,  or  Soirees, 
instituted — Peter's  Mode  of  Living — Provides  for  the 
Succession 338 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Peter  directs  his  views  towards  Persia — Failure  of  the 
Expedition — Trial  and  Punishment  of  certain  Delin- 
quents— Celebration  of  the  "  Little  Grandsire,"  the  first 
germ  of  the  Russian  Navy 358 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Coronation  of  Catharine — Sickness  and  Death  of  Peter 
the  Great — His  Character  and  Epitaph 379 

Note  on  the  alleged  will  of  Peter  the  Great 402 


THE  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 


CHAPTEE  I. 


The  Birth  of  the  Czar  Peter  I.— The  Intrigues  of  his  Family — 
Revolt  of  the  Strelitzes  or  Russian  Janizaries — The  Regency 
of  Sophia — The  Czar  ascends  the  Throne. 

We  shall  certainly  not  err  in  pronouncing  the 
Czar  Peter  I.  of  Russia  to  have  been  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary  men  that  ever  appeared  in  any 
age  or  country ;  but  whether  he  merited  the  title  of 
Great,  which  his  own  countrymen  have  bestowed 
on  hhn,  and  the  rest  of  Europe  has  sanctioned,  it 
would  seem  to  be  necessary  to  know,  in  the  first 
place,  something  of  the  state  of  the  country  to  which 
he  was  by  universal  admission  a  benefactor,  when 
he  first  began  to  govern  it,  and  the  state  in  which 
he  left  it ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  what  were  the 
means  employed,  and  the  resources  at  his  command, 
by  which  he  was  enabled  to  extend  its  limits,  to 
secure  its  peace,  and  to  improve  the  condition  and 
raise  the  moral  qualities  of  his  subjects. 

In  the  review  which  is  now  proposed  to  be  taken 
of   the  life  of  this  extraordinary  man,  the  latter 

1 


2  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

point  will  be  fully  explained  by  the  acts  he  per- 
formed and  the  regulations  he  established.  The 
means  he  employed  to  attain  his  ends  were  some- 
times severe  and  unsparing  enough,  but,  in  general, 
only  where  severity  appeared  to  be  necessary.  If, 
however,  heroic  exploits,  chivalrous  adventures,  and 
hazardous  enterprises,  undertaken  with  the  view  of 
gratifying  personal  vanity  or  ambition,  or  of  excit- 
ing mere  admiration,  be  thought  essential  to  the 
composition  of  a  great  character,  Peter  I.  will  have 
no  chance  of  competing,  in  these  respects,  with 
''the  Macedonian  madman  or  the  Swede."  In 
him  we  neither  find  the  boundless  but  barren  am- 
bition of  the  one,  nor  the  desperate  and  fatal  ob- 
stinacy of  the  other.  "  It  has  been  settled  in  men's 
minds,"  says  Yoltaire,  ''that  Charles  XII.  was 
worthy  of  having  the  first  post  in  the  army  under 
Peter  the  Great — the  one  has  left  nothing  behind 
him  but  ruins — the  other  is,  in  every  respect,  the 
founder  of  an  empire."  In  fact,  the  ambition  of 
Peter  extended  not  beyond  the  improvement  and 
prosperity  of  his  country,  for  which  he  labored  in- 
cessantly through  a  life  of  restless  activity.  Russia 
was  to  him  all  in  aU ;  her  welfare  and  her  glory 
engaged  his  daily  thoughts ;  and  those  excesses  and 
little  eccentricities  which  appear  childish  and  friv- 
olous, as  well  as  those  more  serious  and  opposite 
acts  of  severity,  which  all  must  condemn,  had  each 
of  them  a  motive  pointing  to  some  end,  and  that 
generally  a  benevolent  one.     In  the  execution  of 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  3 

his  great  designs  for  the  improvement  of  his  country, 
no  diificulties  nor  dangers  ever  stood  in  his  way ; 
his  indefatigable  activity — the  perseverance  and  in- 
trepidity which  enabled  him  to  overcome  all  obsta- 
cles, and  brave  the  most  imminent  perils — and  all 
for  the  love  of  country — are  the  proud  qualifications 
that  entitle  him  to  the  name  of  Great. 

With  regard  to  the  state  of  Eussia,  before  and  at 
the  time  of  Peter,  it  will  only  be  necessary  to  turn 
to  the  pages  of  every  writer,  from  Hakluyt  down  to 
that  period,  to  be  satisfied  of  the  extreme  ignorance 
and  barbarism  of  Muscovy.  A  glimmering  of  light 
may  be  said  to  have  broken  in  during  the  reign  of 
Alexis  Michaelovitz  (the  father  of  Peter  the  Great) 
who  died  in  1677.  He  was  one  of  the  best  princes 
that  had  sat  on  the  throne  of  Muscovy.  The  estab- 
lishment of  some  of  the  principal  manufactures  was 
begun  during  his  reign ;  he  added  the  fine  provinces 
of  Pskov  and  Smolensk  to  his  dominions;  he  re- 
formed the  laws,  and  reduced  them  to  something 
like  a  code ;  he  curbed  the  ambition  of  the  patri- 
arch, who  arrogantly  claimed  to  have  the  highest 
seat  in  council ;  and  he  opposed  the  usurpations  of 
the  church.  He  endeavored  to  introduce  a  regular 
system  of  military  tactics  and  discipline  into  the 
army  through  the  means  of  the  foreign  generals  Gor- 
don, Leslie,  and  Dalziel.  He  was  fully  sensible  of 
the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  the  superior  knowl- 
edge of  foreign  ofiicers  and  artificers.  Among  the 
latter  were  some  Dutch  ship-builders,  who  met  with 


4        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

great  encouragement;  for  he  cherished  the  ambition 
of  making  Russia  a  maritime  power,  and  of  forming 
fleets  on  the  Black  Sea  and  the  Caspian. 

Thus  then  Alexis  may  be  said  to  have  laid  the 
foundation  on  which  Peter  erected  his  own  and  his 
country's  glory.  Most  of  his  schemes  however 
failed,  from  the  opposition  they  met  with  from  the 
barbarous  natives,  who  had  an  inveterate  dislike  to 
foreigners  and  foreign  institutions.  By  means  of 
some  Germans  and  Italians,  he  made  an  attempt  to 
establish  silk  and  cotton  manufactories,  which  also 
failed;  but  he  was  more  successful  in  sending 
several  Polish,  Swedish,  and  Tartar  prisoners  of 
war  to  cultivate  lands  on  the  banks  of  the  Yolga. 
This  prince  was  twice  married ;  first  to  a  daughter 
of  the  Boyar  Milovslanski,  and  secondly  to  a  beauti- 
ful young  lady  of  the  family  of  Nariskin,  who  be- 
came the  mother  of  Peter,  the  subject  of  this 
memoir,  and  of  a  daughter.  The  circumstances 
which  led  to  this  marriage,  and  the  manner  in 
Avhich  candidates  for  becoming  brides  were  at  that 
time  exhibited  for  selection,  will  show  the  low  state 
in  which  the  female  part  of  society  was  then  held 
by  the  Muscovites. 

The  Boyar  Matveief ,  minister  for  foreign  affairs, 
was  honored  with  the  particular  confidence  of 
Alexis.  The  latter  going  one  evening  to  his  house 
without  attendants,  as  was  frequently  his  custom, 
found  the  table  covered,  and  said  to  Matveief  in  a 
familiar  way,  *' Your  supper  looks  so  inviting  that 


LIFE  OF  PETEU  THE  GREAT.  5 

it  tempts  me  to  partake  of  it,  but'  it  must  be  on  con- 
dition that  nothing  be  altered  on  my  account. ' '  He 
was  scarcely  seated  when  the  wife  of  Matveief  made 
her  appearance,  followed  by  her  only  son  and  a 
young  lady.  The  Czar  insisted  on  their  sitting 
down,  though  contrary  to  the  usual  custom,  and  the 
young  lady  was  placed  opposite  the  royal  guest. 
He  observed  her  with  great  attention,  and  then  said, 
'  <■  I  thought  your  son  was  your  only  child. ' ' — 
' '  Your  majesty, ' '  said  the  minister,  ' '  is  right ;  this 
young  lady  is  the  daughter  of  Kyrilla  Kariskin,  a 
relation  and  friend,  who  lives  on  his  own  estate ;  my 
wife  has  undertaken  her  education,  and,  with  the 
blessing  of  God,  we  hope  to  settle  her  honorably  in 
the  world. ' ' 

The  family  having  retired,  the  Czar  observed  to 
the  minister  that  he  ought  to  think  of  a  suitable 
match  for  the  young  lady.  The  minister  replied, 
that  although  endowed  with  good  and  amiable 
qualities,  she  was  far  from  being  rich,  and  that  his 
own  circumstances  would  not  allow  him  to  give  her 
any  considerable  portion.  Some  days  after  this, 
the  Czar  returned  to  the  subject  of  the  young  lady, 
and  told  Matveief  he  had  found  a  gentleman  who 
might  probably  be  agreeable  to  her ;  one  not  desti- 
tute of  merit,  and  who,  besides,  needed  no  fortune 
with  his  wife;  "one,"  he  added,  ''who  is  already 
in  love  with  your  ward,  and  wishes  to  marry  and 
make  her  happy. ' '  Matveief,  of  course,  was  anx- 
ious to  know  who  this  suitor  was ;  and  after  some 


6         LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

further  discourse  on  the  subject,  the  Czar  said 
''  Well,  Matveief,  you  may  tell  the  young  lady  it  is 
I  who  am  in  love  with  her,  and  am  determined  to 
make  her  my  wife. ' ' 

The  minister,  thunderstruck  at  so  unexpected  a 
declaration,  fell  at  the  feet  of  Czar,  and  entreated 
his  majesty,  for  the  love  of  God,  not  to  think  of  it ; 
said  that  he  had  many  enemies  at  court,  who  al- 
ready beheld  with  envious  eyes  the  particular  marks 
of  kindness  with  which  his  majesty  deigned  to  honor 
him ;  that  their  jealousy  would  be  evinced  if,  to  the 
mortification  of  all  the  noble  families,  his  majesty 
should  condescend  to  marry  so  humble  a  girl,  who 
was  under  his  care.  The  Czar  told  him  he  had 
nothing  to  fear ;  that  his  determination  was  taken, 
and  would  not  be  altered.  ' '  Since  then  it  is  so, ' ' 
said  Matveief,  ' '  I  have  one  favor  to  beg,  as  ;\vell 
for  the  sake  of  Natalia  as  for  myself ;  which  is,  that 
you  will  not  carry  your  wishes  into  execution  with- 
out conforming  to  the  usual  custom  of  the  country, 
and  thus  saving  appearances;  assemble  at  your 
court  the  daughters  of  the  most  distinguished  fami- 
lies, among  whom  JSTatalia  will  be  present,  and  let 
your  majesty's  choice  be  made  in  public."  The 
Czar  approved  his  minister's  advice,  and  promised 
to  follow  it. 

A  few  weeks  after  this,  Alexis  declared,  before 
his  assembled  ministers,  and  to  the  heads  of  the 
clergy,  his  intention  of  making  a  second  marriage, 
and  ordered  them  to  call  together  the   unmarried 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  7 

daughters  of  the  principal  nobility,  in  order  that  he 
might  make  his  choice."^  About  sixty  young  ladies 
of  high  birth  and  great  beauty  were  assembled, 
adorned,  as  may  well  be  supposed,  in  all  the  splen- 
dor of  dress  and  decoration,  but  Natalia  JN^ariskin 
was  the  lady  selected,  and  raised  at  once  to  the 
throne.  This  selection  took  place  at  Moscow  in 
September,  1670,  f  but  the  marriage  was  deferred 
for  nine  months,  and  was  not  solemnized  until  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1671. 

The  Czar  Alexis,  at  his  death,  in  1676,  left  two 

*  As  soon  as  it  was  known ,  or  suspected ,  in  the  palace  that 
Alexis  had  informally  chosen  his  wife,  there  was  an  outbreak 
of  jealousy  and  intrigue.  The  marriage  of  the  comparatively 
obscure  Natalia  would  be  followed  by  the  ennobling  of  her 
relations,  and  that  in  turn  would  cause  the  retirement  of  the 
nobles  who  were  at  that  time  in  power.  Moreover,  the 
daughters  of  Alexis,  some  of  whom  were  older  than  Natalia, 
were  naturally  opposed  to  any  remarriage  of  their  father, 
and  especially  to  his  marriage  with  that  lady. 

The  subsequent  developments  were  in  the  line  of  these 
jealousies.  Immediately  upon  the  death  of  Alexis,  Natalia 
and  her  young  son  Peter  were  retired  to  a  villa  three  miles 
from  the  center  of  Moscow.  This,  which  was  intended  as  a 
humiliation,  turned  out  for  the  advantage  of  young  Peter, 
for  it  gave  him  a  free  and  healthy  life  in  the  country,  with 
educational  surroundings  far  superior  to  those  of  the  palace. 
Poor  Matveief  was  persecuted  ;  he  was  charged  with  witch- 
craft, the  evidence  of  which  was  a  "black  book  filled  with 
ciphers " — in  other  words,  an  algebra.  He  was  condemned 
without  trial,  his  property  was  confiscated,  and  he  was 
banished.  Natalia's  brothers  and  other  relations  and  friends 
suffered  proportionately  from  these  court  intrigues. 

t  Staehlin's  Original  Anecdotes.  Communicated  by  the 
Countess  Roumanzoff ,  granddaughter  to  Matveief, 


8  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

sons,  Theodore  and  John,  and  four  daughters, 
Sophia,  Catharine,  Mary,  and  Sediassa,  by  his  first 
wife;  and  one  son  and  one  daughter,  Peter  and 
Natalia  Alexowna,  by  the  second,  above  mentioned. 
Theodore,  his  eldest  son,  succeeded  to  the  throne ; 
but  being  of  a  weak  constitution  and  subject  to  dis- 
ease, his  life  was  considered  likely  to  be  of  short 
duration.  It  was  the  general  custom,  at  that  time, 
to  send  the  female  issue  to  pass  their  lives  in  a  con- 
vent ;  but  the  Princess  Sophia,  a  lady  of  a  mascu- 
line spirit  and  great  penetration,  foreseeing  what 
might  happen,  and  that  her  brother  John,  being 
afflicted  with  epileptic  fits  and  other  infirmities,  was 
Avholly  unfit  to  assume  the  reins  of  government, 
in  the  event  of  the  demise  of  Theodore,  conceived  a 
plan  to  escape  from  the  convent.  In  order  to  secure 
a  better  opportunity  of  carrying  her  scheme  into 
effect,  she  represented  to  the  ministers  the  unhappy 
condition  of  her  brother  Theodore,  and  the  cruelty 
of  being  shut  up  at  a  distance  from  one  whom  she 
so  tenderly  loved,  when  suffering  on  a  bed  of  sick- 
ness. Under  this  pretense  of  sisterly  affection  and 
zeal  she  was  permitted  to  leave  the  convent ;  and 
by  her  unremitting  attention  to  her  brother,  her  in- 
sinuating manners,  and  affable  behavior  to  the  per- 
sons about  the  court,  she  became  a  universal  favor- 
ite ;  in  short,  being,  as  Gordon  says,  ' '  of  a  superior 
but  dangerous  genius, ' '  she  soon  found  herself  in  a 
fair  way  to  the  assumption,  in  her  own  person,  of 
the  supreme  authority.     As  the  most  certain  means 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  9 

of  forwarding  her  views,  she  selected  Prince  Galit- 
zin  for  the  head  of  her  party, — a  man  of  great  abil- 
ity, and  as  artful  and  intriguing  as  his  protectress. 
Supported  by  her  influence,  he  found  means  to  carry 
on  the  affairs  of  government,  during  the  reign 
of  Theodore,  which  closed  by  his  death,  in  1682, 
in  the  twenty-second  year  of  his  age.  Leav- 
ing no  issue  behind  him,  and  deeming  his  own 
brother  Ivan,  on  account  of  his  many  infirmities, 
wholly  unfit  for  the  responsibilities  of  empire,  he 
had  been  advised  to  name  for  his  successor  on  the 
throne  his  half-brother  Peter,  who,  though  only  ten 
years  of  age,  had  already  given  indication  of  his 
masculine  character. 

Sophia,  enraged  at  her  own  brother  being  thus 
set  aside,  formed  a  bold  design,  at  the  head  of 
which  she  engaged  in  her  service  Couvanski,  the 
general  of  the  Strelitzes.  This  corps,  if  a  turbulent 
and  undisciplined  gang  of  armed  men  deserve  to  be 
so  called,  bore  a. close  resemblance  to  the  janizaries 
of  the  Turks,  or  the  Praetorian  guards  of  Eome; 
and,  like  them,  could  create  or  depose  a  sovereign 
according  to  their  good -will  and  pleasure.  With  a 
view  to  exasperate  the  people,  and  the  Strelitzes  in 
particular,  a  rumor  was  industriously  spread  abroad, 
by  the  satellites  of  Galitzin  and  Couvanski,  that 
the  Czar  Theodore  had  been  poisoned.  The  Stre- 
litzes, being  called  together,  were  addressed  by 
Couvanski,  whose  speech  excited  these  rabble 
troops  to  the  highest  pitch  of  fury.     They  forth- 


10  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

with  murdered  the  two  physicians  who  had  attended 
the  deceased  Czar;  and  having  accomplished  this, 
the  next  step  was  to  mark  out  several  of  the  chief 
officers  of  the  crown  for  destruction ;  some  of  whom 
were  actually  thrown  over  the  balustrade  of  the 
imperial  palace,  and  received  on  the  pikes  of  the 
soldiers.  The  Princes  Dolgorouki  and  Matveief, 
Nariskin,  the  brother  of  the  young  Czarina,  Prince 
Soltikoff ,  and  many  other  persons  of  distinction,  that 
had  made  themselves  obnoxious  to  the  Strelitzes,  or 
to  Sophia,  were  put  to  death  by  them ;  several  even 
of  their  own  colonels  and  other  officers,  who  were 
not  in  favor  with  the  rabble,  fell  by  their  hands. 
It  is  stated  by  General  Alexander  Gordon,  and 
other  writers,  that  this  affair  originated  in  the 
colonels  having  refused  the  pay  due  to  these  troops, 
and  that,  on  this  account,  they  inflicted  the  hat- 
togues  *  on  nine  of  these  officers,  a  punishment  which 

*  The  knout  was  an  instrument  of  punishment  introduced 
into  Russia  under  Ivan  III.  (1462-1505).  It  was  a  whip  with 
a  handle  9  inches  long,  and  one  complex  lash,  compris- 
ing a  lash  16  inches  long,  with  a  metal  ring  ;  a  continuation 
with  another  ring  ;  and  finally,  a  flat  lash  of  hard  leather,  21 
inches  long,  and  ending  in  a  beak-like  hook.  The  offender 
was  tied  to  two  stakes,  stripped,  and  in  that  condition  he 
received  on  the  back  the  specified  number  of  lashes  ;  100  to 
120  were  equivalent  to  sentence  of  death,  but  in  many  cases 
the  victim  died  under  the  operation  long  before  this  number 
was  completed.  The  whipping  was  inflicted  by  a  criminal. 
For  this  knout,  Nicholas  I.  substituted  a  three-thonged  lash, 
and  this  was  disused,  save  in  certain  penal  settlements,  by 
Alexander  I. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  H 

is  precisely  the  hmnbooing  of  the  Chinese ;  and  the 
sufferers,  in  both  of  them,  are  obliged  to  thank  their 
executioners. 

It  was  suggested  as  the  only  means  of  arresting 
this  bloody  tumult,  that  the  unfortunate  Prince 
Ivan  so  grievously  incapacitated  for  a  throne — 
(since  he  was  nearly  blind,  could  hardly  articulate 
and  had  been  from  infancy  subject  to  epileptic  fits) 
— should,  nevertheless,  be  proclaimed  Czar  con- 
jointly with  his  brother  Peter.  As  soon  as  the 
horrible  massacre  had  terminated,  the  two  young 
princes  were  proclaimed  joint  sovereigns,  and 
Sophia  as  regent;  and  this  ambitious  lady  seated 
herself  between  the  two  mock  sovereigns, — an  idiot 
and  a  child.  Yoltaire  says  she  approved  of  these 
outrages,  conferred  rewards  on  the  officers  of  the 
Strelitzes,  by  bestowing  on  the  murderers  the 
estates  of  the  murdered  and  proscribed;  that  she 
allowed  them  to  erect  a  monument,  on  which  an  in- 
scription recorded  the  names  of  those  they  had  mas- 
sacred, who  were  represented  thereon  as  traitors  to 
their  country ;  and  that  she  caused  a  ukase  to  be  pub- 
lished, in  which  these  murderous  wretches  were 
thanked  for  their  zeal  and  fidelity. 

General  Alexander  Gordon,  a  decided  partisan  of 
Peter,  is  the  principal  accuser  of  Sophia  in  this  af- 
fair, in  which  there  are  some  grounds  for  inferring 
she  had  no  concern,  at  least  in  its  commencent,  and 
that  the  revolt  of  the  Strelitzes  was  chiefly  occa- 
sioned, as  he  himself  states,  by  large  arrears  of  pay 


12  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

due,  as  well  as  by  their  hatred  of  many  of  their 
superior  officers.*  When  the  terror  and  dismay 
had  subsided,  a  council  was  assembled,  at  which 
most  of  the  nobles  were  present,  when  it  was  deter- 
mined to  punish  the  authors  of  this  daring  rebellion ; 
the  result  of  which  was,  that  the  most  active  among 
the  officers  and  their  abetters,  and  near  two  thou- 
sand of  the  soldiers,  who  had  been  decimated,  Avere 
put  to  death. 

When  these  horrors  first  burst  forth,  the  two 
Princes,  Ivan  and  Peter,  fled  with  their  mother 
and  sister,  and  the  family  of  the  ]S[ariskins,  to  the 
Troitski  or  Trinity  Convent,  about  fifteen  leagues 
from  Moscow,  where  some  German  officers  and 
soldiers  were  sent  for  their  protection.  It  is  stated 
by  several  authors  that  two  of  the  Strelitzes  dashed 
after  the  fugitives  into  the  convent,  and  that  one  of 
them,  with  uplifted  sword,  was  about  to  smite  young 
Peter,  who  with  his  mother  had  taken  refuge  by  the 
altar;  but  his  companion  exclaimed,  "  Comrade,  not 
before  the  altar !  "  This  merciful  man  would  ap- 
pear to  have  been  actuated  less  by  feelings  of 
humanity  than  of  early  prejudice,  which  had  taught 
him  to  respect  the  sanctity  of  the  place. 

Sophia  all  this  time  kept  quiet,  and  managed 
matters  so  well  as  to  escape  detection,  if  not  sus- 
picion. She  had  now,  indeed,  nearly  reached  the 
height  of  her  ambition,  by  being  placed  in  the  en- 

*  Gordon's  Hist,  of  Peter  the  Great. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  13 

joyment  of  all  the  honor  and  the  power  of  sover- 
eignty ;  her  bust  was  stamped  on  the  public  coin ; 
her  hand  was  put  to  all  despatches ;  she  had  the  first 
seat  in  council ;  and  her  sway  might  be  said  to  be 
without  control.  She  procured  a  wife  for  her 
brother  Ivan,  from  the  house  of  Soltikoff ,  one  of  the 
family  of  him  who  was  murdered.  The  marriage 
took  place  at  Moscow  in  1684.  Scarcely  had  this 
ceremony  been  concluded,  when  another  conspiracy 
was  formed  by  Couvanski,  who,  as  in  lili:e  cases  not 
unfrequently  happens,  found  himself  neglected  by 
Sophia,  from  the  moment  she  had  attained  her  pres- 
ent elevation,  to  which  he  had  in  so  essential  a 
manner  contributed.  It  was  even  said  that  he  aimed 
at  nothing  less  than  her  hand,  as  the  first  step  to 
the  imperial  dignity ;  and  that,  in  order  the  more 
surely  to  accomplish  these  ends,  his  design  was  to 
massacre  the  two  Czars,  the  princesses,  with  the 
exception  of  Sophia,  and  all  those  of  the  nobility 
who  were  attached  to  the  court.  This  horrible  plot 
being  discovered,  all  the  royal  family  again  fled  to 
the  Troitski  monastery,  which  was  at  the  same  time 
a  fortress  and  a  place  of  sanctity.  From  this  place 
Sophia  pretended  to  negotiate  with  Couvanski,  and 
managed  matters  so  well  as  to  decoy  him  within  the 
lines ;  when  he  was  seized  and  instantly  beheaded, 
with  the  whole  of  his  officers  who  accompanied 
him.  Some  say  the  plot  was  laid  for  seizing  him 
by  Galitzin,  and  that  he  was  waylaid  by  200  horse- 
men in  the  road  to  the  Troitski  monastery.     This  ia 


14        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

not  improbable,  as  the  princess  had  taken  Prince 
Basil  Galitzin  as  her  first  counsellor  in  all  affairs  of 
state.  The  regiments  of  the  Strelitzes,  being  ap- 
prized of  the  fate  of  their  leader,  again  flew  to 
arms ;  but  on  the  boyars  assembling  their  vassals, 
and  the  other  troops  of  the  empire  being  put  in 
march  for  the  convent,  about  four  thousand  of  these 
turbulent  men  laid  down  their  arms,  and  received 
a  pardon  from  the  triumvirate.  Gordon,  who  was 
present,  states  that  the  young  Czar  Peter  with  great 
difficulty  was  prevailed  on  to  assent  to  the  execu- 
tions that  took  place,  until  the  patriarch  had  suc- 
ceeded in  persuading  him  of  the  necessity ;  and  by 
his  account,  this  rebellion  was  not  accompanied  by 
those  barbarities  which  various  writers  have  ascribed 
to  it.* 

All  this  happened  in  1685,  when  Peter  was  but 
thirteen  years  of  age.  As  to  his  education,  in  such 
troublesome  times,  and  associated  with  such  persons, 
it  is  not  likely  to  have  been  of  the  best  description. 
His  father  on  his  death-bed,  when  Peter  was 
scarcely  five  years  of  age,  appointed  as  his  governor 

*  General  Patrick  Gordon,  here  mentioned,  must  not  be 
confounded  with  General  Alexander  Gordon,  who  has  pub- 
lished a  Life  of  Peter  the  Great.  The  former  kept  a  very 
voluminous  diary,  which  has  never  yet  been  published.  It  is 
mentioned  by  Coxe  as  being  shut  up  in  the  archives  of 
Moscow  ;  but  it  was  in  England  not  long  ago,  and  probably 
will  be  again.  It  commences  with  January,  1684,  and  con- 
tinues to  1698.  He  was  a  great  friend  and  adviser  of  the  Czar 
Alexis,  and  also  of  young  Peter,  who  sat  by  his  death-bed  and 
closed  his  eyes. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.        15 

a  general  officer  called  Menesius,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land ;  probably  Menzies,  that  name  being  generally 
pronounced  Meensie.  He  is  represented  as  a  per- 
son well  qualified  for  that  situation,  being  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  all  the  affairs  of  Europe,  and  speak- 
ing most  of  the  European  languages :  but  when  the 
princess  Sophia  conspired  against  her  infant  brother, 
finding  she  was  unable  to  prevail  on  Menesius  to 
abandon  the  interests  of  Peter,  she  compelled  him 
to  give  up  the  trust  which  her  father  had  reposed  in 
him. 

It  is  rather  remarkable  that  so  little  is  known  of 
the  history  of  this  gentleman.  In  the  reign  of 
Alexis,  in  the  year  1672,  Menesius  was  sent  by  that 
Czar  as  ambassador  to  Rome,  to  negotiate  for  the 
re-union  of  the  Greek  and  Romish  churches,  but  on 
conditions  that  were  deemed  inadmissible.  The 
pope  indeed  refused  to  acknowledge  the  title  of 
Czar,  as  having  too  near  an  affinity  to  that  of  Cesar ; 
his  holiness  being  ignorant,  it  would  seem,  that  it 
is  a  borrowed  title  from  that  held  by  the  petty 
princes  of  the  East,  descended  from  the  house  of 
Gengis-Khan. 

It  does  not  appear  that  an}^  governor  was  ap- 
pointed to  succeed  Menesius,  nor  is  any  account 
given  of  the  plan  of  Peter's  education;  but  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  the  general  belief,  of  its 
being  entirely  and  purposely  neglected,  is  true,  and 
that  he  was  mainly  indebted  to  the  strength  of  his 
own  natural  genius  for  those  transcendent  abilities 


16  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

which  he  displayed  in  after-life.  His  sister  Sophia 
is  accused  of  having  placed  about  him  a  set  of  de- 
bauched young  men,  who  led  him  into  every  kind 
of  excess,  by  which  she  hoped  to  destroy  his  health 
and  impair  his  intellect,  but  it  is  difficult  to  give 
credit  to  such  baseness.  In  point  of  fact,  it  could 
not  be  so,  as  Peter  was  placed  under  the  immediate 
guardianship  of  his  mother ;  and  Sophia  contented 
herself  by  undertaking  the  education  of  Ivan,  for 
which  she  was  well  qualified,  being  an  accomplished 
and  elegant  scholar.  Scheltema  observes  that  the 
masters  and  teachers  of  the  young  prince  remain 
unknown,  but  that  a  countryman  of  his,  of  the 
name  of  Francis  Timmerman,  was  his  first  instruc- 
ter  in  arithmetic,  mathematics,  and  fortification. 
It  is  also  said  that  several  other  Dutchmen,  among 
whom  was  Andreas  Winius,  and  the  Dane,  Ys- 
brands  Ides,  were  in  the  service  of  the  two  Czars, 
and  held  in  great  esteem  at  court,  both  of  whom 
were  very  capable  of  giving  instruction  to  young 
Peter.* 

After  Moscow  and  the  state  had  once  more  re- 
gained their  usual  tranquillity,  Sophia  continued  to 
possess  and  to  exercise  the  chief  authority,  Peter 
being  yet  too  young,  or  too  diffident,  to  take  any 
active  share,  and  Ivan  utterly  incapable  of  acting. 
She  thought  it  necessary,  however,  to  share  her 
power  with  Prince  Basil  Galitzin,  a  man  of  superior 

*  Rusland  en  de  Nederlandem  beschouwd,  &c.,  door  Jaco- 
bus Scheltema. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.         17 

education  and  first  rate  abilities,  of  an  active,  enter- 
prising spirit,  and  indefatigable  application.  His 
first  step  was  to  distribute  the  mutinous  Strelitzes 
among  the  regiments  in  the  distant  provinces  of  the 
empire.  His  attention  was  next  drawn  towards 
the  Crimea,  the  khan  of  which  had  insolently  de- 
manded of  Eussia  an  annual  tribute  of  sixty  thou- 
sand rubles,  in  imitation  of  that  which  the  Turk  had 
imposed  on  Poland.  Galitzin  and  Sophia  were  de- 
termined to  wipe  off  the  insult  of  such  a  proposal. 
For  this  purpose  they  ordered  preparations  to  be 
made  for  a  vigorous  war  against  the  Tartars  of  the 
Crimea,  to  which  they  were  further  urged  by  the 
Poles,  who  had  surrendered  to  Russia  the  duchy  of 
Smolensk,  the  Ukraine,  and  some  other  territories 
(which  she  had,  in  fact,  conquered  from  them),  on 
the  condition  of  her  opposing  the  incursions  of  these 
people  into  Poland. 

Galitzin  reluctantly  undertook  the  command  of 
this  expedition ;  and  when  all  was  ready,  he  marched, 
in  168T,  with  a  considerable  army,  which  was  fur- 
ther augmented  by  the  junction  of  a  body  of  Cos- 
sacks, towards  the  Crimea.  His  troops  were  for  the 
most  part  undisciplined,  badly  armed,  and  worse 
clothed,  and  but  little  inured  to  the  hardships  of  a 
campaign.  Having  failed  to  reach  Perecop,  on  ac- 
count of  the  great  plains  being  burnt  up,  and  no 
water  to  be  had,  he  returned  to  the  river  Samara, 
which  falls  into  the  Yolga  in  about  the  53d  degree 
of  latitude,  where  he  employed  his  men  in  building 


18        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

a  town  of  wooden  houses,  and  erecting  and  storing 
magazines  for  the  next  campaign.  Galitzin  laid  the 
blame  of  his  failure  on  his  ally,  the  Cossack  chief, 
whom,  with  his  son,  the  council  banished  into  Si- 
beria, where  they  perished  in  great  misery. 

In  1689  it  was  determined  to  send  another  and 
more  considerable  army  against  the  Crimea,  and 
Galitzin  was  again  appointed  to  the  command.  The 
hetman,  or  chief  of  the  Cossacks,  who  had  succeeded 
the  unfortunate  man,  was  Mazeppa,  the  very  man 
whom  Lord  Byron  has  immortalized  in  verse,  and 
Astley  caricatured  on  the  stage.  Galitzin  again 
failed  of  making  any  impression  on  the  Tartars,  or 
of  compelling  them  to  forego  their  demand  of  trib- 
ute. The  result  of  these  unsuccessful  campaigns 
tended,  among  other  things,  to  the  ruin  of  the  fa- 
vorite minister. 

During  his  absence,  the  party  opposed  to  him 
and  to  Sophia  had  brought  about  the  marriage  of 
the  Czar  Peter,  then  about  seventeen,  to  a  young 
lady  named  Ottokesa  Federowna  Lapouchin,  daugh- 
ter of  the  boyar  Feodor  Abrahamavitz.  This  step, 
taken  without  consulting  the  Princess  Sophia,  was 
highly  resented  by  her  but  approved  by  all  the  first 
families  in  Moscow.  Galitzin,  on  his  return,  found 
all  his  plans  destroyed  by  this  marriage,  and  all  his 
hopes  utterly  blasted,  on  its  being  announced  that 
the  new  Czarina  was  pregnant.  Voltaire  states,  on 
the  authority  of  Neuville,  the  Polish  envoy,  who 
resided  at   Moscow,  and  was  eyewitness  to  what 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.         19 

passed,  that  Sophia  and  Galitzin  engaged  the  new 
chief  of  the  Strelitzes  to  sacrifice  the  young  Czar  to 
their  ambition ;  that  at  least  six  hundred  of  these 
soldiers  were  ordered  to  seize  on  the  person  of  the 
prince;  and  he  adds,  'Hhe  secret  memoirs  with 
which  I  have  been  intrusted  by  the  court  of  Eussia 
affirm  that  a  scheme  had  been  laid  to  murder  Peter 
the  First."  The  Czar  was  once  more  obliged  to 
save  himself  in  the  Convent  of  the  Trinity,  where 
he  assembled  the  boyars  of  his  party,  and  a  large 
body  of  soldiers,  and  all  that  he  knew  to  be  at- 
tached to  his  person.  The  accomplices  were  all 
seized,  and  punished  with  great  severity,  by  the 
knout  or  the  hattogues^  and  then  beheaded.  Teki- 
lavetof ,  the  chief  of  the  Strelitzes,  was  put  to  the 
torture,  confessed  the  whole,  and  was  then  be- 
headed. Prince  Galitzin  escaped  with  life  by  the 
intercession  of  a  namesake  and  relation,  who  was  a 
favorite  of  Peter,  but  his  immense  estate  was  for- 
feited, and  he  was  banished  to  the  neighborhood  of 
Archangel.  His  sentence,  according  to  JSTeuville, 
was  expressed  in  the  following  terms,  which  agrees 
with  what  is  stated  by  I^estesuranoi :  * — "  Thou  art 
commanded  by  the  most  merciful  Czar  to  retire  to 
Karga,  a  town  under  the  pole,  and  there  to  pass  the 
remainder  of  thy  days.  His  majesty,  out  of  his  ex- 
cessive benevolence,  allows  thee  for  subsistence  three 
copecks  per  day.  His  justice  ordains  that  all  thy 
property  be  confiscated  to  the  treasury. ' '  On  this 
*  Mem,  du  Regne  de  Pierre  le  Grand, 


20  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Yoltaire  observes,  "  There  is  no  town  under  the 
pole,  and  the  person  who  dictated  this  sentence 
must  have  been  a  very  bad  geographer ;  but, ' '  he 
adds,  ' '  it  is  said  Neuville  was  imposed  upon  by  a 
false  account. ' '  *  Galitzin  survived  his  fall  twenty- 
four  years;  he  was  recalled  from  banishment  in 
1711,  and  died  on  his  own  estate  two  years  after  his 
liberation.  The  Princess  Sophia  was  confined  to  a 
convent  in  Moscow,  where  she  remained  till  her 
death,  which  happened  in  the  year  1704,  fifteen 
years  afterward.  Peter  was  now  the  real  and  only 
sovereign,  for  his  brother  Ivan  had  no  other  share 
of  the  government  than  that  of  lending  his  name  to 
the  public  acts.  His  short  life  was  spent  in  retire- 
ment, and  he  died  in  1696. 

*  This  is  hypercriticism  ;  but  Neuville,  in  fact,  is  generally- 
very  little  deserving  of  credit.  He  was  one  of  those  diplo- 
matic characters  who  endeavor  to  pick  up  all  the  gossip  they 
can,  to  fill  a  despatch  for  their  employers,  at  their  respective 
courts. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

The  Czar  creates  a  Navy,  and  new- models  his  Army — Le  Fort 
— Menzikoff — Gordon — First  Attack  on  Azof  fails — The  sec- 
ond succeeds — Conspiracy  discovered  and  defeated. 

Hitherto  the  young  Czar  Peter  had  taken  no 
prominent  part  in  any  of  these  turbulent  proceed- 
ings. It  would  appear  that  he  advisedly  kept  him- 
self aloof,  in  the  midst  of  the  commotions  that  dis- 
tracted the  capital  and  its  neighborhood.  It  is 
probable  enough,  that  possessing  only  a  divided  au- 
thority, and  considering  his  youth,  it  might  have 
been  deemed  prudent  by  his  friends  and  advisers  to 
prevent  any  interference,  on  his  part,  with  one 
party  or  the  other.  It  is  not  likely,  however,  that  a 
young  man  of  his  active  and  restless  disposition 
should  have  spent  his  time  in  idleness,  between  the 
Kremlin  and  the  Trinity  Convent,  or  that  he  was 
unobservant  of  what  was  passing  around  him. 
Neither  does  there  appear  to  be  any  ground  for  the 
accusation,  which  has  been  preferred  against  the 
party  of  Sophia,  that  either  she  or  they  were  base 
enough  to  encourage  an  inclination,  which  he  is 
said  to  have  early  discovered,  for  indulging  in 
,  brandy  and  other  strong  liquors,  or  that  they  had  con- 

21 


22  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

trived  to  put  upon  him  companions  well  suited  to 
train  him  up  in  every  species  of  intemperance  and 
debauchery.*  Yoltaire,  who  copies  Nestesuranoi, 
says,  ' '  His  education  was  far  from  being  worthy  of 
his  genius ;  it  had  been  spoiled  chiefly  by  the  Prin- 
cess Sophia,  whose  interest  it  was  to  leave  him  in 
ignorance,  and  to  indulge  him  in  those  excesses 
which  in  persons  of  his  rank,  age,  and  circumstances 
it  had  been  but  too  much  the  custom  to  overlook. 
From  his  feasting  and  conversing  with  foreigners, 
who  had  been  invited  to  Moscow  by  Prince  Galit- 
zin,  no  one  could  have  suspected  that  he  was  to  be 
one  day  the  reformer  of  his  country,  "f  There  is, 
however,  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  statement 
of  his  time  being  spent  in  idleness  and  debauchery  is 
much  exaggerated,  but  that  a  considerable  portion 
of  it  must  have  been  dedicated  to  the  acquirement 
of  the  mechanical  arts  and  handicraft  works ;  and 
this  is  the  more  probable,  as,  on  his  arrival  at  Zaan- 
dam,  :j:  in  Holland,  it  was  observed  that  he  was  not 
unacquainted  with  the  use  of  the  adze,  the  plane, 
and  the  lathe. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  the  moment  he  became  invested 
with  sole  and  supreme  authority, — for  his  brother 
Ivan  never  interfered, — his  genius  shone  forth  with 
a  lustre  that  dazzled  all  eyes,  and  the  development 
of  the  vigorous  powers  of  his  mind  was  a  subject  of 

*  MemoireB  du  R^gne  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 

f  History  of  the  Russian  Empire  under  Peter  the  Great. 

X  Generally,  but  improperly,  written  Saardam. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  23 

universal  wonder  and  admiration.  He  was  now  in 
his  eighteenth  year,  tall,  stout,  well-made,  and 
handsome ;  the  features  of  his  countenance  regular, 
but  indicating,  when  displeased  or  thoughtful,  a 
degree  of  severity  that  was  far  from  agjPeeable ;  but 
when  his  passions  were  not  excited  he  was  lively, 
cheerful,  and  sociable.  Full  of  energy  and  activity, 
he  found  nothing  too  arduous  for  his  conception ; 
and  as  a  proof  that  his  youth  had  not  been  wasted 
in  thoughtlessness,  he  commenced  at  once  the  vast 
project,  which  he  must  have  previously  revolved  in 
his  mind,  of  changing  the  whole  system  of  the 
government,  and  of  reforming  the  manners  of  his 
people.  The  first  object  to  which  he  directed  his 
attention,  as  being  the  most  important,  was  the  ref- 
ormation of  the  army,  and  of  the  establishments  for 
conducting  military  affairs.  He  next  instituted  an 
inquiry  into  the  state  of  the  civil  government,  and 
the  principles  on  which  it  was  administered.  To 
assist  him  in  his  various  plans,  he  encouraged  the 
introduction  of  Germans  into  the  empire,  some  of 
whom  had  already  established  themselves  in  Mos- 
cow, where  they  exercised  their  various  trades  and 
manufactures;  and  the  Dutch,  who  were  in  con- 
siderable numbers,  were  held  in  especial  favor, 
particularly  for  their  skill  in  ship-building  and 
navigation. 

It  is  remarked  by  most  of  Peter's  biographers, 
that  from  his  infancy  he  had  such  a  dread  of  water 
as   amounted  absolutely  to  hydrophobia;  that  he 


24  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

could  not  pass  a  brook  without  being  thrown  into  a 
cold  sweat  and  convulsions.  The  cause  of  this 
dread  of  water  is  ascribed  to  his  being  one  day, 
when  about  four  or  five  years  old,  lying  asleep  on 
his  mother's  lap  in  a  carriage,  and  suddenly  awak- 
ened by  the  approach  to  a  waterfall  or  cataract,  the 
rushing  noise  of  which  had  such  an  effect  on  his 
nerves  as  to  bring  on  a  fever.  It  is  not  uncommon 
to  invent,  or  exaggerate,  juvenile  accidents  in  order 
to  account  for  personal  defects  or  eccentricities, 
which  are,  for  the  most  part,  hereditary  or  consti- 
tutional. If,  however,  he  had  this  aversion,  he  de- 
termined to  conquer  it;  and,  by  practising  in  a 
small  boat  on  the  river  which  passes  through  Mos- 
cow, he  not  only  succeeded,  but  became  so  passion- 
ately fond  of  the  water,  and  took  such  delight  in 
managing  this  little  boat,  that  it  may  be  said,  and 
in  fact  he  himself  considered  it  to  have  been,  the 
germ  of  the  Russian  navy.  It  had  been  built,  in 
the  reign  of  Peter's  father,  by  a  Dutchman  of  the 
name  of  Brandt,  whom  that  sovereign  had  invited 
into  Russia.  Peter,  having  accidentally  seen  this 
small  bark,  and  noticed  it  to  be  different  from  the 
flat  pontoons  he  had  been  accustomed  to  look  at, 
inquired  of  Timmerman  who  taught  him  fortifica- 
tion, "  Why  it  was  made  so  unlike  other  vessels  ?  " 
the  reply  was,  that  it  was  constructed  to  sail 
against  the  wind.  There  was  something  new  in 
this,  and  therefore  sufficient  to  excite  his  curiosity ; 
Brandt  was   immediately   summoned,  and  having, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.        25 

at  Peter's  desire,  masted,  rigged,  and  repaired  her, 
showed  him  how  to  sail  her  on  the  Yausa,  to  the 
surprise  and  delight  of  the  young  Czar,  who  from 
that  time  undertook,  and  very  soon  succeeded  in, 
the  management  of  the  vessel  himself.* 

Brandt  was  now  engaged  to  build  for  him  a  sort 
of  small  yacht,  and  when  finished,  a  Dutch  sea- 
man was  procured  to  assist  him  in  navigating  her. 
By  degrees  he  learned  to  manage  this  little  vessel 
as  skilfully  as  his  master ;  and  became  so  delighted 
with  sailing,  and  no  doubt  so  well  satisfied  of  its 
importance,  that  he  engaged  the  Hollanders  to 
build  him  no  less  than  five  vessels  at  Plescow,  or, 
as  the  charts  have  it,  Pscow  on  the  great  lake 
Peipus.  t 

As  soon  as  these  vessels  were  ready  and  manned, 
Peter   took    with  him  his  friend    General  Patrick 

*  "  The  boat  which  Peter  found  at  Ismailovo  is  thought  by 
many  to  have  been  constructed  in  Russia  by  Dutch  carpen- 
ters, in  1688,  during  the  reign  of  Czar  Alexis,  at  a  place  called 
Dedinovo,  at  the  confluence  of  the  rivers  Moskva  and  Oka. 
By  others  it  is  thought  to  be  a  boat  sent  by  Queen  Elizabeth 
to  the  Czar  Ivan  the  Terrible.  Ever  since  Peter's  time  it  has 
borne  the  name  of  the  '  Grandsire  of  the  Russian  Fleet,'  and 
is  preserved  with  the  greatest  care  in  a  small  brick  building 
near  the  Cathedral  of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul,  within  the  fort- 
ress at  St.  Petersburg.  In  1870,  on  the  celebration  of  the 
200th  anniversary  of  Peter's  birth,  it  was  one  of  the  chief 
objects  of  interest  in  the  great  parade  at  St.  Petersburg  ;  and 
again,  in  1872,  it  was  conveyed  with  much  pomp  and  solem- 
nity to  Moscow,  where,  for  a  time,  it  formed  a  part  of  the 
Polytechnic  Exposition."— Eugene  Schuyler. 

f  Scheltema  Rusland  en  de  Nederlanden. 


ge  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Gordon,  who  embarked  with  him,  and  kept  a  log 
of  their  proceedings.  But  the  limits  of  a  lake, 
though  sixty  leagues  in  circumference,  were  too 
confined  for  the  rising  ambition  of  the  Czar,  who 
now  resolved  to  see  what  a  ship  could  do  on  the 
wide  ocean;  and  for  this  purpose  he  set  out  for 
Archangel,  where  he  purchased  a  trading  vessel 
from  a  Dutch  merchant  there,  to  which  he  gave 
the  name  of  Peter.  Having  engaged  a  crew  from 
the  trading  vessels  at  that  port,  he,  accompanied  by 
a  Dutch  ship  of  war  and  some  Dutch  and  English 
merchantmen,  proceeded  as  far  as  Ponoi  on  the 
coast  of  Lapland,  about  150  miles  from  Archangel; 
and  thus  for  the  first  time,  says  the  Dutch  author, 
' '  the  Frozen  Ocean  had  the  honor  of  bearing  a  mon- 
arch on  its  bosom. ' '  His  taste  for  navigation  had 
now  grown  into  a  kind  of  passion;  and  he  car- 
ried it  so  far  as  often  to  expose  himself  to  imminent 
danger.  His  confidence  in  his  knowledge  as  a  nav- 
igator and  pilot  rendered  him  intrepid  in  the  high- 
est degree.  When  overtaken  by  a  storm,  and  the 
sea  broke  over  his  vessel,  he  was  so  far  from  feeling 
anything  like  fear,  that  he  used  to  encourage  his 
frightened  crew  with  words  like  these,  "Never 
fear,  the  Czar  Peter  cannot  be  drowned :  did  you 
ever  hear  of  a  Russian  Czar  having  perished  on  the 
water  ?  "  Like  Csesar,  he  trusted  to  his  fortunes. — 
''I  always  am  the  Czar."  And  might  say,  with 
that  great  commander, — 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  27 

"  Danger  knows  full  well, 
That  Peter  is  more  dangerous  than  he  : 
We  were  two  lions  littered  in  one  day, 
And  I  the  elder  and  more  terrible."' 

Peter,  some  time  after  this,  visited  Archangel 
again,  and  remained  from  three  to  four  months,  in 
the  course  of  which  he  contracted  an  intimacy  with 
a  Dutch  skipper  of  the  name  of  Musch,  a  native  of 
Zaandam,  and  frequently  went  to  sea  in  his  vessel. 
One  day  he  told  Musch  that,  as  he  had  regularly  ad- 
vanced in  his  new  army  from  a  drummer  to  his 
present  rank,  which  was  yet  only  that  of  a  subaltern, 
he  was  likewise  desirous  of  going  through  all  the 
steps  that  were  considered  necessary  to  make  a  per- 
fect seaman.  Musch  thought  the  Czar  was  in  jest, 
but  his  majesty  soon  convinced  him  to  the  contrary, 
by  saying  that  he  would  go  to  sea  with  him  the 
next  day,  and  dedicate  that  day  to  his  passing  through 
all  the  gradations  of  a  seaman's  servitude,  and  actu- 
ally performing  the  duties  of  each.  He  first  served 
as  a  zwabher^  or  common  drudge,  who  swept  the 
cabin  and  swabbed  the  decks ;  this  done,  he  was  ap- 
pointed knecht^  or  servant,  whose  duty  was  to  light 
and  keep  up  the  fire  in  a  little  stove,  to  prime  the 
skipper's  pipe,  brush  his  jacket,  &c. ;  he  then  be- 
came kajuitwachter^  or  cabin  boy,  whose  duty  was 
to  wait  at  table,  serve  out  brandy  or  gin,  and  to 
make  grog.  He  was  now  prepared  to  commence 
seamanship,  and  the  next  step  of  advancement  was 
to  the  situation  of  yong  matroos^  or  young  sailor, 


28  LIJ'E  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

and  by  orders  of  his  captain,  to  go  aloft,  hand  or 
loose  the  sails,  &c.  Here  Musch  began  to  be  greatly 
alarmed,  on  seeing  Peter  run  up  the  shrouds  to  the 
masthead,  lest  he  should  fall  down  and  break  his 
neck.  All  this  may  appear  trifling,  but  Peter  had 
an  object  in  it.  He  had  resolved  that,  both  in  the 
sea  and  land  service,  the  officers  should  commence 
with  the  very  lowest  rank,  and  that  his  own  example 
should  prevent  all  murmuring.  The  skipper  Musch 
died  shortly  after  this,  and  Peter  sent  a  gratuity  to 
his  widow  at  Zaandam  of  five  hundred  guilders. 
Another  amiable  trait  in  his  character  while  at 
Archangel  deserves  to  be  recorded.  Overtaken  one 
day,  when  out  at  sea,  in  a  storm,  Peter,  more  than 
usually  anxious,  was  instructing  the  helmsman  how 
to  steer,  and  having,  at  the  same  time,  taken  hold 
of  the  tiller,  ''Stand  out  of  my  way,"  called  out 
the  impatient  seaman ;  ' '  I  must  know  better  than 
you  how  to  steer  the  vessel. ' '  Having  brought  her 
through  a  dangerous  passage  among  the  rocks  to  a 
safe  anchorage,  the  poor  fellow,  recollecting  what 
had  passed,  fell  at  the  feet  of  the  Czar,  and  prayed 
forgiveness  for  his  rudeness.  Peter  took  him  up, 
and,  as  usual  when  pleased,  kissed  his  forehead — 
' '  There  is  nothing  to  forgive, ' '  said  he ;  ' '  I  owe 
you  my  thanks,  not  alone  for  our  rescue  from  dan- 
ger, but  also  for  the  proper  rebuke  you  gave  me. ' ' 
He  then  made  him  a  present  of  his  drenched  clothes, 
and  settled  on  him  a  small  pension.* 

*  Scheltema,  on  the  authority  of  Van  Halem, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  29 

This  passion  for  sailing  continued  through  life, 
but  he  indulged  it  as  well  through  policy  as  inclin- 
ation ;  having,  at  a  very  early  period  of  his  reign, 
seen  the  expediency,  and  indeed  the  necessity,  of 
establishing  a  fleet  on  the  Yolga,  to  keep  the  Turks 
and  Tartars  in  awe ;  and  another  on  Lake  Ladoga 
and  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  to  protect  his  territories 
against  his  powerful  neighbors  the  Swedes.  Having 
one  day,  at  a  much  later  period  of  his  life,  invited 
all  the  foreign  ministers  to  accompany  him  in  his 
yacht  on  a  water-party  to  Cronstadt,  to  see  his  fleet, 
then  ready  for  sea,  a  sudden  thunder-storm  arose ; 
the  sea  rose  and  the  waves,  dashing  furiously 
against  the  little  vessel,  threatened  her  with  mo- 
mentary destruction.  The  ministers  were  dread- 
fully alarmed,  while  Peter  and  his  crew  appeared 
to  be  wholly  unconcerned.  They  entreated  him  to 
put  back  to  St.  Petersburg,*  or  to  land  them,  if 
possible,  at  Peterhoff ;  but,  attentive  to  the  steer- 
ing of  the  vessel,  he  calmly  said,  "  Don't  be  alarmed, 
gentlemen, ' '  and  continued  to  direct  the  helmsman, 
and  to  work  the  ship.     At  length,  one  of  the  minis- 

*  The  name  St.  Petersburg  is  here  used,  although  that 
city  was  not  founded  until  a  later  date.  The  main  portion  of 
the  city  is  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  Neva,  while  part  of 
it  is  on  the  islands  within  the  river,  and  a  small  portion — 
about  one-eighth  of  the  whole— is  on  the  north,  or  "  Peters- 
burg side,"  as  it  is  called.  Before  Peter  founded  the  present 
cit}^  there  was  on  the  north  side  a  hamlet  called  Petersburg, 
which,  however,  was  so  small  that  it  was  entirely  without 
significance  except  as  a  geographical  location  or  a  name. 


30  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

ters  approached  him,  with  a  grave  and  fearful  coun- 
tenance : — ''I  beseech  your  majesty,"  said  he, 
''for  the  love  of  God  to  return  to  St.  Petersburg, 
or  to  Peterhoff,  which  is  still  nearer,  and  not  to 
forget  that  my  court  did  not  send  me  to  Russia  to 
be  drowned :  if  I  should  perish  here,  as  in  all  like- 
lihood I  shall,  your  majesty  will  have  to  answer  to 
the  king  my  master. ' '  On  hearing  this,  the  Czar 
could  not  help  smiling,  notwithstanding  the  vessel 
was  in  some  danger.  "  Sir,"  said  he,  ''if  you  are 
drowned,  we  shall  all  share  the  same  fate,  and  no- 
body will  be  left  to  answer  for  your  excellency."* 

But  the  army,  as  we  have  said,  was  the  first 
great  object  of  his  attention.  In  his  childhood  he 
was  particularly  delighted  with  beating  the  drum, 
and  ' '  playing  at  soldiers ; ' '  and  the  taste  for  a  mil- 
itary life,  as  he  advanced  in  years,  is  supposed  to 
have  accompanied  him  to  his  obscure  retirement  in 
the  Trinity  convent.  In  his  first  attempt  to  form  a 
body  of  disciplined  troops,  he  was  ably  assisted  by 
a  foreigner,  for  whom  he  had  conceived  the  strong- 
est attachment,  and  who  never  left  him  till  he  was 
taken  away  by  death.  To  this  excellent  man  Russia 
may  truly  be  said  to  stand  indebted  for  the  able  ad- 
vice and  assistance  he  gave  to  Peter,  in  laying  the 
solid  foundation  of  that  true  grandeur  and  prosper- 
ity to  which,  in   later   times,   she   has   advanced. 


*  Staehlin.    Authority  Mr.  Bruyns,  master-attendant-gen^ 
eral. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  ^1 

This  remarkable  man,  Mr.  Francis  Le  Fort,  the  son 
of  a  respectable  merchant  of  Geneva,  had  imbibed 
from  his  childhood  a  strong  inclination  for  the  army ; 
but,  at  the  particular  request  of  his  father,  consented 
to  be  placed,  at  an  early  period  of  his  life,  in  the 
counting-house  of  Mr.  Franconis,  an  eminent  mer- 
chant in  Amsterdam.^  According  to  Yoltaire, 
who  gives  as  his  authority  "  General  Le  Fort's 
manuscripts,"  he  quitted  his  father's  house  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  and  was  four  years  a  cadet  in  the 
citadel  of  Marseilles ;  from  whence  he  went  to  Hol- 
land, and,  serving  as  a  volunteer,  was  wounded  at 
the  siege  of  Grave,  upon  the  Meuse.  The  historian 
adds,  that,  in  expectation  of  further  preferment,  he 
embarked  in  1675,  in  company  with  a  German  col- 
onel of  the  name  of  Verstin,  who  had  obtained  a 
commission  from  Peter's  father,  the  Czar  Alexis,  to 
raise  a  few  troops  in  the  Netherlands,  and  to  trans- 
port them  to  Archangel ;  that  on  their  arrival,  after 
a  perilous  voyage,  the  Czar  Alexis  was  no  more ; 
the  government  had  undergone  a  change,  and  Mus- 
covy was  in  an  unsettled  state ;  that  the  Governor 
of  Archangel  suffered  them  all,  for  a  long  time,  to 
languish  with  want,  and  even  threatened  to  send 
them  to  the  extremity  of  Siberia ;  that  then,  each 
shifting  for  himself,  Le  Fort,  in  great  necessity, 
made  his  way  to  Moscow,  where  he  offered  his  ser- 
vices  to  M.   de  Hoorn,  the  Danish  resident,  who 

*  John  Mottley's  History  of  the  Life  of  Peter  I. 


32  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

made  him  his  secretary.  This  was  in  1690,  when 
Peter  was  eighteen  years  of  age.* 

The  resident  was  one  of  those  foreigners  whom 
the  Czar  honored  by  dining  at  his  table — and  there 
he  first  took  notice  of  Le  Fort.  He  inquired  after 
his  character  from  M.  de  Hoorn,  and  finding  that- 
he  was  a  young  man  of  great  ability,  of  modest  de- 
meanor, and  had  made  himself  acquainted  with  the 
Russian  language,  he  asked  the  resident  if  he  would 
be  willing  to  part  with  him.  The  resident  replied 
that  the  exchange  was  too  flattering  and  advan- 
tageous to  Le  Fort,  and  that  he  had  too  much  re- 
gard for  his  welfare,  and  too  high  a  respect  for  the 
commands  of  his  majesty,  not  to  consent  to  it. 

The  cheerful,  3^et  modest  and  unassuming,  man- 
ners of  Le  Fort,  the  fund  of  information  he  pos- 
sessed respecting  the  customs  and  manners  of  the 
European  courts,  at  which  he  had  resided, — but, 
above  all,  the  general  knowledge  he  possessed  of 
military  affairs,  so  delighted  the  Czar  that  he  soon 
became  his  constant  companion  and  favorite,  and 
was  always  sent  for  to  accompany  him  wherever  he 
went.  The  first  mark  of  his  favor  was  a  commis- 
sion as  captain  of  infantry.  It  has  been  said  that 
Le  Fort  had  no  great  proficiency  in  the  military 
service, — neither  was  he  a  man  of  literature,  nor 
much  conversant  in  the  abstract  sciences, — but  that 
he  had  seen  a  great  deal,  and  was  capable  of  form- 

*  Voltaire's  History  of  the  Russian  Empire  under  Peter  the 
Great. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  33 

ing  a  right  judgment  of  what  he  did  see.*  Such  a 
man,  indebted,  as  the  Czar  himself  was,  to  his  own 
genius  for  the  knowledge  he  had  acquired,  was  per- 
haps better  suited  to  be  the  companion  and  adviser 
of  Peter,  than  one  more  deeply  skilled  in  the  arts 
and  sciences,  but  less  agreeable  in  his  manners. 

Peter  had  great  reason,  from  past  experience,  to 
place  no  confidence  in  those  of  his  generals  who 
were  chosen  from  among  the  corps  of  Strelitzes; 
and  had  determined  to  replace  them  by  regular  and 
well-disciplined  officers — such  as  Le  Fort  had  told 
him  were  to  be  found  in  the  armies  of  Europe,  and 
especially  at  the  courts  of  Austria  and  Denmark. 
With  this  view,  he  one  day  sounded  Le  Fort  as  to 
his  opinion  with  regard  to  his  present  guards,  and 
desired  he  would  give  it  freely.  In  reply,  he  said 
he  thought  the  same  of  them  as  of  the  rest  of  his 
soldiers — that  they  were  a  fine  body  of  well-made 
men,  who  required  only  to  be  well  officered,  dis- 
ciplined, and  properly  accoutred,  to  make  excellent 
soldiers ;  but  that,  in  the  first  place,  their  long  coats 
must  be  laid  aside,  being  unbecoming,  inconvenient, 
and  troublesome ;  that  their  beards  must  be  shaved ; 
their  hair  properly  dressed ;  and  concluded  his  ob- 
servations by  proposing  that  he  would  make  a  trial 
of  the  changes  he  should  recommend,  on  a  small 
scale.  Peter  resolved  on  this,  as  he  did  on  most 
occasions,  at  once.  He  immediately  took  Le  Fort 
to  his  country  residence  of  Preobrazenski,  where  a 

*  Voltaire — in  which  General  Gordon  pretty  nearly  agrees. 

3 


34        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

company  of  fifty  men  were  selected  from  among  the 
sons  of  the  neighboring  boyars  and  the  younger  part 
of  the  domestics,  whom  he  clothed  and  accoutred 
en  militaire ;  and  having  chosen  a  few  of  the 
youths,  sons  of  the  boyars,  to  be  the  oiScers,  the 
work  of  training  the  little  corps  according  to  the 
European  tactics  of  the  day  immediately  began.  It 
is  unlikely  that  the  Czar  should  not  have  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  training ;  and  the  story  is  not  very 
probable  that  Le  Fort  took  the  Avhole  on  himself, 
without  consulting  the  Czar.  When  all  was  ready, 
Peter  however  was  highly  pleased  with  their  ap- 
pearance and  manoeuvers,  and  desired  that  he  might 
be  instantly  enrolled  in  the  company  as  a  private 
soldier.  He  directed  also  that  the  young  boyars, 
following  his  example,  should  all  become  privates, 
and  serve  in  succession  in  that  capacity,  rising  grad- 
ually to  the  rank  of  corporal,  sergeant,  ensign,  be- 
fore they  obtained  a  commission  as  lieutenant. 
Such  is  stated  to  have  been  the  origin  of  that  cele- 
brated regiment,  known  afterward  by  the  name  of 
the  Preobrazenski  Guards. 

The  Czar  was  thus  enabled,  from  this  small  begin- 
ning, to  raise,  in  a  very  short  time,  a  corps  of  five 
thousand  disciplined  troops  in  whom  he  could  con- 
fide; trained,  mostly,  by  General  Patrick  Gordon, 
and  composed,  for  the  most  part,  of  foreigners.  Le 
Fort  himself  undertook  to  raise  another  corps  of 
twelve  thousand  men,  from  foreigners,  natives,  and 
chiefly  from  the  Strelitzes,  which  he  accomplished  j 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  35 

and  for  which  the  Czar  created  him  their  general. 
Yoltaire  says,  on  the  authority  of  Le  Fort's  manu- 
scripts, that  one-third  of  this  army,  which  was  called 
only  a  reghnent^  consisted  of  French  refugees ;  and 
this,  he  observes,  confounds  the  impertinence  of 
those  who  pretend  that  France  lost  very  few  inhab- 
itants by  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes.* 
Peter  would  not  suffer  this  newly-raised  army  to  re- 
main inactive  in  time  of  peace,  and  thus  relax  in  its 
discipline.  He  caused  them  to  be  frequently  exer- 
cised in  mock  sieges  and  sham  engagements ;  and, 
it  is  said,  such  was  their  ardor  and  desire  of  dis- 
tinction, that  sometimes,  when  only  a  sham  fight 
was  intended,  they  fought  a  real  battle,  in  which 
several  of  the  men  were  killed  and  wounded ;  and 
that  in  one  of  these  Le  Fort  himself  received  a  con- 
siderable wound,  f 

In  the  midst  of  these  military  sports,  if  they  may 
be  so  called,  the  Czar  was  not  unmindful  of  his  navy. 
His  Dutch  and  Venetian  ship-builders  were  em- 
ployed in  building  gun-boats  and  sloops  of  war,  at 
the  mouth  of  a  small  deep  river  near  Yoronitz, 
which  discharges  its  waters  into  the  Don,  or  Tanais. 
These  vessels  were  to  be  held  in  readiness  to  drop 
down  before  Azof,  which  he  was  resolved  to  attack, 
and,  if  possible,  to  secure  as  a  most  important  post, 
in  the  event  of  a  war,  which  he  foresaw  would 
speedily  break  out,  with  the  Tartars  of  the  Crimea. 
He  frequently  inspected  the  progress  of  their  equip- 

*  Voltaire,  Histoire,  &c.  f  Nestesuranoi,  Mottley,  &c. 


36  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

ment,  and  on  one  occasion  raised  Le  Fort  to  the 
rank  of  admiral,  in  addition  to  that  of  general. 
The  advantages  to  be  derived  from  encouraging 
foreigners  of  all  descriptions  to  flock  into  the  country 
were  felt  and  acknowledged  by  the  sensible  portion 
of  the  community ;  but  the  strangers  were  regarded 
with  something  more  than  jealousy  by  the  priests 
and  many  of  the  boyars,  who  considered  all  innova- 
tion as  subversive  of  their  ancient  constitution, 
which  of  course  was,  in  their  estimation,  the  best  of 
all  possible  constitutions. 

An  army  and  a  navy,  however,  were  not  to  be 
formed  and  kept  up  without  money;  and  Peter's 
finances  were  in  a  state  of  as  great  disorder  as  his 
troops  had  been.  He  was  therefore  honestly  ap- 
prized by  Le  Fort  that  his  revenues  were  not  in  a 
condition  to  bear  the  expenses  of  what  he  was  de- 
signing, with  regard  to  the  building  and  equipment 
of  a  navy,  and  the  feeding,  clothing,  and  payment 
of  his  army,  to  say  nothing  of  the  pay  that  was  due 
to  the  numerous  foreign  artisans  and  workmen  that 
were  employed  about  the  court,  and  on  the  great 
works  that  were  projected  or  actually  in  progress ; 
but,  at  the  same  time,  assured  him  that  his  revenues 
were  improvable.  He  pointed  out  to  him,  in  the 
first  place,  the  impolicy  of  exacting  such  heavy  duties 
on  all  kinds  of  merchandise  that  were  imported  into 
Russia,  and  the  equally  heavy  imposts  that  were  ex- 
acted on  the  exports  of  its  own  produce ;  that,  in 
consequence  of  these  charges,  the  merchants  were 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  37 

compelled  to  conspire  together  how  to  avoid  them, 
by  introducing  and  sending  away  articles  of  com- 
merce in  a  clandestine  manner,  either  by  craft  or 
by  bribing  the  custom-house  officers ;  and  that,  by 
such  means,  the  revenue  was  defrauded  to  a  great 
extent.  Convinced  of  the  truth  of  this  representa- 
tion, he  immediately  ordered  the  duties  to  be  re- 
duced from  ten  to  five  per  cent. ,  and  ordained  severe 
penalties  on  such  as  should  be  detected  in  commit- 
ting frauds ;  the  consequence  of  which  was,  that,  in 
the  very  first  year  of  the  new  regulations,  the  reve- 
nue of  the  customs  was  augmented  by  nearly  two 
millions  of  rubles.* 

^Nor  did  the  benefits  bestowed  on  Eussia  by  Le 
Fort  rest  here.  The  greatest  and  most  important 
of  all  was  that  conferred  personally  on  the  Czar  him- 
self. The  influence  which  he  had  gained  over  him 
was  employed  in  softening  the  asperity  of  his  tem- 
per, and  curbing  the  violence  of  his  passions,  to 
which  he  was  frequently  subject.  Many  a  blow 
was  turned  aside,  and  many  a  life  saved,  by  his 
timely  interference.  When  a  boyar  or  noble  (for 
they  more  than  others  were  liable  to  the  knout,  or 
to  lose  their  heads)  was  ordered  for  punishment,  as 
often  happened  on  very  trifling  occasions,  Le  Fort 
would  interpose,  and  desire  him  to  suspend  his  judg- 
ment till  he  became  cool;  and  not  succeeding,  as 
was  sometimes  the  case,  he  would  entreat  him  to 

*  These  rubles  were  presumably  of  gold  and  the  sum  would 
amount  to  $1,540,000, 


38  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

deal  the  blow  upon  himself,  rather  than  on  the  in- 
nocent subject  of  his  wrath ;  and  this  generally  pro- 
duced a  suspension  of  his  anger,  and  saved  the  in- 
tended victim.  By  such  generosity  Le  Fort  became 
a  universal  favorite  among  all  classes  of  Eussians, 
who  seemed  to  forget  he  was  a  foreigner,  and  were 
willing  to  consider  him  as  one  of  their  own  coun- 
trymen. 

Another  piece  of  service  rendered  to  the  Czar 
Peter  by  M.  Le  Fort  was,  the  casual  introduction  of 
a  very  remarkable  personage,  who,  from  one  of  the 
lowest  stations  in  life,  became  the  leading  character 
in  all  the  affairs  of  state ; — a  general,  a  governor, 
and  ultimately  raised  to  the  princely  dignity.  This 
was  no  other  than  Prince  Alexander  Menzikoff.  It 
is  said  by  M.  de  la  Motraye,  that  his  parents  were 
in  so  miserable  a  condition,  in  one  of  the  villages  on 
the  banks  of  the  Yolga,  that  they  could  not  afford  to 
give  to  their  son  the  common  education  of  reading 
and  writing ;  that  he  left  them  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
or  fourteen,  Avithout  saying  a  word,  to  seek  service 
in  Moscow,  Avliere  he  was  taken  into  that  of  a  pas- 
try-cook. The  daily  business  of  this  young  lad  Avas 
to  traverse  the  streets  of  Moscoav,  with  a  little 
basket  of  cakes  and  patties  to  sell ;  having  a  clear 
and  sweet  voice,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  offering  his 
patties  in  a  song  or  tune  of  his  own  composing ;  and 
the  patties  and  cakes  being  Avell  made,  while  the 
boy  was  neatly  clad,  and  of  a  prepossessing  face, 
crowds  generally  gathered    round    him,    and    his 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  39 

basket  was  soon  emptied.  It  happened  one  day 
that  this  boy  caught  the  attention  of  General  Le 
Fort,^*  who  called  him  into  the  house,  and  asked 
him  if  he  would  sell  his  pies  and  his  basket.  The 
boy  replied  that  it  was  his  business  to  sell  his  pies, 
— but  as  to  the  basket,  he  must  ask  his  master's 
leave  to  dispose  of  that.  The  general  was  so  struck 
with  his  manner  and  appearance  that  he  asked  if  he 
should  like  to  enter  his  service.  In  short,  he  took 
him  into  his  house,  and  observing  that  he  was  a  fine, 
handsome,  and  engaging  young  man,  thought  the 
Czar  would  not  be  displeased  to  have  him  in  his  ser- 
vice ;  and  in  this  he  was  not  mistaken.  He  saw 
him,  heard  his  history,  and  took  him  as  his  page. 
He  soon  became  a  great  favorite,  and  accompanied 
the  Czar  in  all  his  travels ;  the  Czar  employed  hun 
on  aU  his  secret  commissions  and  confidential  busi- 
ness. E"ever  was  an  instance  of  so  sudden  a  rise, 
from  the  lowest  state  of  poverty,  to  riches,  honors, 
power,  and  magnificence,  as  that  of  Menzikoif. 
The  subsequent  history  of  this  remarkable  person  is 
intimately  interwoven  with  that  of  the  Czar  Peter. 
It  was  said,  indeed,  that  the  Czar  owed  his  life  to 
Menzikoif,  when  a  cake-boy,  and  that  this  was  the 
cause  of  his  sudden  elevation.  Peter,  indeed,  said 
on  one  occasion,  when  pleading  for  his  favorite 
under  a  criminal  prosecution,  that  he  owed  his  life 
to  him.     The  circumstance  is   not  likely  to   have 

*  Memoires,  &c.,  parLe  B.  Iwan  Nestesuranoi.    M.  Voltaire 
says  it  was  the  Czar  who  called  him. 


4:0        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

happened,  but  the  narrator  was  employed  in  both 
the  court  and  the  army,  and  it  was  probably  the 
gossip  of  the  day.  Peter,  according  to  this  story, 
dined  one  day  with  a  boyar  of  the  discontented  fac- 
tion, who  had  determined  to  get  rid  of  him  by  poi- 
son; Menzikoff,  being  in  the  kitchen,  observed 
some  white  powder  put  into  a  particular  dish ;  the 
Czar  was  apprized  of  it,  pressed  the  boyar  to  eat  of 
it,  who  declined,  saying  it  did  not  become  the  serv- 
ant to  eat  with  his  master ;  the  plate  was  set  down 
to  a  dog,  which,  having  devoured  it,  died  in  convul- 
sions ;  the  boyar  was  taken  into  custody,  but  was 
found  dead  in  his  bed, — and  thus  the  matter  dropped.  * 
It  would  appear  that  Peter  was  far  from  being  at 
ease  in  his  domestic  circle.  The  marriages  of  sov- 
ereigns, seldom  made  by  the  choice  of  either  party, 
but  from  political  expediency,  can  hardly  be  ex- 
pected to  turn  out  happy.  Peter  had  a  wife  forced 
upon  him  at  the  age  of  seventeen ;  before  he  at- 
tained that  of  twenty,  he  found  cause  to  put  her 
away,  and  confine  her  strictly  to  a  convent.  This 
proceeding  has  been  accounted  for  in  various  ways. 
Some  pretend  she  was  disloyal  to  him — others  that 
she  had  reproached  Menzikoff  for  taking  her  hus- 
band to  visit  low  resorts,  and  that  it  was  he  who 
advised  the  Czar  to  divorce  her.  The  real  cause, 
however,  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  the  en- 
couragement she  gave  to  the  powerful  party  that 

*  Memoirs  of  Capt.  Bruce, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  41 

was  hostile  to  every  innovation  which  he  either  had 
introduced,  or  was  intending  to  introduce,  into  the 
affairs  of  the  nation ;  for  the  fact  was  well  known 
that  the  greatest  opposition  he  met  with,  in  his 
grand  design  of  regenerating  his  country,  and  out 
of  savages  forming  men,  came  from  his  wife  and  her 
connections.  She  was  taught  by  her  confessor  to 
regard  all  innovations  as  so  many  sacrileges,  and 
every  foreigner  as  a  corrupter  of  her  husband. 
Such  conduct  encouraged  the  factious  boyars  and 
the  priests  to  use  all  endeavors  to  thwart  his  designs 
for  the  improvement  and  prosperity  of  the  country. 
His  son,  Alexis,  being  an  infant,  was  placed  under 
the  guardianship  of  his  repudiated  mother,  which 
turned  out  to  be  the  principal  cause  of  all  his  mis- 
fortunes. * 

The  way  in  which  General  Alexander  Gordon  got 
his  first  commission  in  the  Eussian  service,  just  at 
this  time,  was  entirely  owing  to  this  illiberal  hatred 
of  foreigners,  and  is  highly  creditable  to  the  discern- 
ment and  firmness  of  the  Czar.  Being  introduced 
to  Peter,  on  his  arrival  in  Moscow,  by  his  namesake 
Patrick  Gordon,  and  also  to  many  of  the  first  fami- 
lies, he  received  an  invitation  to  a  wedding.  Sev- 
eral young  Russians  were  present ;  and  when  the 
bottle  had  freely  circulated,   they  began  to  speak 

*  It  is  also  a  fact  that  she  (Eudoxia  by  name)  was  extreme- 
ly jealous  of  the  friendships  of  Peter,  not  for  women  only, 
but  also  for  men.  Especially  did  she  manifest  a  violent  an- 
tipathy against  Le  Fort.  She  was  certainly  a  great  trial  to 
her  husband, 


42  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

very  disrespectfully  of  foreigners  in  general,  and  of 
the  Scots  in  particular ;  and  this  kind  of  conversa- 
tion went  on  so  long,  and  was  so  pointed,  that  Gor- 
don became  irritated,  and  laid  the  one  next  him 
sprawling  on  the  floor  by  a  blow  with  his  fist. 
Five  others  immediately  set  upon  him ;  but  the  use 
he  made  of  his  large  brawny  arms  drove  them  off, 
and  he  remained  master  of  the  field.  An  event  of 
this  kind  was  sure  to  be  carried  to  the  Czar,  espe- 
cially as  the  youths  were  of  the  first  families.  Gor- 
don was  ordered  the  next  day  to  appear  before 
him,  and  expected  nothing  less  than  the  knout 
or  to  be  sent  to  Siberia ;  but  the  modest  manner 
in  which  he  stated  the  case  to  the  Czar,  and  the 
sorrow  he  expressed  for  having  unintentionally 
given  him  displeasure,  gained  at  once  the  good 
opinion  of  Peter,  who,  always  acting  on  the  im- 
pulse of  the  moment,  said,  ' '  Well,  sir,  your  accus- 
ers have  done  you  justice  by  admitting  that  you 
beat  six  of  them, — I  will  also  do  you  justice."  On 
saying  this  he  withdrew,  and  in  a  few  minutes  re- 
turned with  a  major's  commission,  which  he  pre- 
sented to  Gordon  with  his  own  hand.  Peter  knew 
that  he  had  received  a  captain's  commission  from 
Louis  XIY. ,  after  serving  in  the  wars  in  Catalonia. 
Gordon's  biographer  adds,  "  This  anecdote  of  our 
author's  history  he  once  told,  and  we  believe  never 
but  once."* 

*  Life  of  Major-general  Gordon,  prefixed  to  his  History  of 
Peter  the  Great. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  43 

The  appointment  of  Le  Fort  to  the  rank  of  admi- 
ral was  no  empty  title ;  he  was  despatched  to  hasten 
the  ships  building  at  Yoronitz,  and  prepare  them 
with  all  expedition  to  drop  down  the  Don  prepara- 
tory to  an  attack  on  Azof,  which  the  Czar  was 
determined  to  get  possession  of,  as  the  key  to  the 
sovereignty  of  the  Black  Sea.  General  Patrick 
Gordon  received  directions  to  march  at  the  head  of 
five  thousand  men  along  the  line  of  the  Don ;  Le 
Fort  was  to  follow  with  the  twelve  thousand  men 
which  he  had  raised;  a  corps  of  Strelitzes  was 
placed  under  the  command  of  Generals  Scherematof 
and  Shein ;  and  to  all  these  was  joined  a  body  of 
Cossacks.  The  Czar  was  determined  to  proceed  to 
the  attack  in  person,  but  in  the  capacity  only  of  a 
volunteer.  Azof  was  a  strong  place  and  well  gar- 
risoned, and  could  only  be  successfully  bombarded 
from  the  water ;  but  it  unfortunately  happened  that, 
with  every  exertion,  some  Venetian  galleys  and 
two  large  Dutch  frigates,  were  not  able  to  get  down 
the  river  in  time.  The  Eussians,  impatient,  would 
not  wait  their  arrival ;  they  laid  siege  to  the  place 
and  miscarried,  chiefly,  as  was  reported,  through  the 
treachery  of  an  inferior  officer  in  the  Czar's  army. 

The  name  of  this  man  was  Jacob,  a  native  of 
Dantzic,  and  an  artillery  officer  under  General 
Shein.  The  general  for  some  fault  or  other  had 
bambooed  Jacob,  who,  not  bearing  this  disgrace- 
ful punishment  so  composedly  as  a  Eussian  would 
have   done,   determined  on  revenge.     During  the 


44  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

night  he  spiked  the  cannon  of  the  invaders,  deserted 
to  the  enemy,  and  the  same  man,  who  had  directed 
the  approaches  to  the  fortress,  was  now  the  best 
defender  of  it.  The  Russians  made  an  attempt  to 
storm,  but,  after  losing  a  great  number  of  men, 
were  repulsed,  and  obliged  to  raise  the  siege.  Thus^ 
ended  the  first  campaign  of  the  Czar  Peter. 

Though  completely  beaten,  the  Czar  showed  him- 
self a  man  not  to  be  disheartened  by  one  stroke  of 
adverse  fortune.  He  resolved,  on  the  spot,  to  make 
a  second  attempt ;  and  accordingly,  in  the  early  part 
of  the  spring  of  1796,  he  put  his  forces  in  motion, 
and  with  increased  means  proceeded  to  the  attack 
of  the  town.  His  fleet  was  now  completely  equipped 
and  properly  commanded.  The  siege  was  con- 
ducted with  systematic  regularity,  and  the  Czar  was 
constantly  in  the  trenches  or  on  board  some  of  the 
ships  of  the  squadron ;  but  he  soon  began  to  grow 
impatient  at  the  protracted  siege ;  called  a  council  of 
war,  and  requested  the  opinions  of  the  several  oflicers. 
All  of  these  advised  to  delay,-^until  it  came  to  the 
turn  of  the  old  General  Patrick  Gordon,  who  rec- 
ommended a  most  extraordinary  plan,  such  as  one 
might  expect  to  find  practised  in  the  days  of  Homer. 
He  said ;  that,  in  his  opinion,  the  safest  and  most 
expeditious  way  to  become  masters  of  the  place 
would  be  to  carry  on  before  them  a  whole  rampart 
of  earth  along  the  front  of  the  town,  which,  as 
they  advanced,  would  hourly  increase.  ' '  By  hav- 
ing ten  or  twelve  thousand  men  night  and  day,  we 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  45 

shall,"  said  he,  ^'  roll  as  much  earth  before  us,  as 
will  not  only  be  sufficient  to  fill  up  the  fosse,  but 
will,  over  and  above,  more  than  exceed  the  height 
of  the  town  walls  ;  by  which  means,  in  a  few 
weeks,  we  shall  oblige  the  enemy  to  surrender,  or 
we  shall  bury  them  alive."  The  Czar  preferred 
this  opinion,  and  ordered  them  to  do  as  he  had 
proposed.  So  to  work  they  went,  and  with  such 
cheerfulness,  that,  within  the  space  of  five  weeks, 
the  fosse  was  actually  full,  and  the  earth  above  the 
height  of  the  ramparts,  rolling  in  over  them,  which 
obliged  the  governor  to  put  out  the  white  flag. 
The  younger  Gordon,  who  was  present,  adds,  that 
twelve  thousand  men  were  constantly  at  work,  who 
threw  the  earth  from  hand  to  hand,  like  so  many 
steps  of  a  stair.  "^ 

After  this  extraordinary  operation  of  taking  a 
fortified  town,  Peter  granted  to  the  governor  a  cap- 
itulation, and  had  the  satisfaction  to  witness  the 
surrender  of  the  garrison  on  the  28  th  of  July ;  and 
that  which  gave  him  more  pleasure  than  anything 
besides  was  to  find  that  the  traitor  Jacob  was  still 
there,  and  that  the  governor  made  no  difiiculty  in 
delivering  him  up  to  the  besiegers  among  the  rest 
of  the  prisoners. 

The  Kussians  had  no  sooner  got  possession  of  the 

town  than  Peter  issued  his  orders,  for  improving 

and  strengthening  the  fortifications,  enlarging  the 

harbor,  and  for  increasing  his  fleet,  both  in  number 

*  Gordon's  History  of  Peter  the  Great. 


46  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

and  size :  some  of  the  ships  ordered  to  be  built  be- 
ing intended  to  carry  from  thirty  to  sixty  pieces  of 
cannon.  On  his  return  to  Moscow,  a  contribution 
was  directed  to  be  levied  on  the  boyars,  or  land 
proprietors,  in  aid  of  the  expense  of  building  and 
fitting  out  this  fleet;  and  conceiving  that  the  es- 
tates of  the  clergy  ought  to  bear  their  proportion  in 
the  service  of  the  common  cause,  orders  were  sent 
forth  that  the  patriarch,  the  bishops,  and  the  su- 
perior clerg}^  contribute  to  the  fitting  out  of  an  in- 
tended expedition,  in  which  the  honor  and  the  glory 
of  their  country  were  concerned,  and  which  was 
for  the  general  good  of  Christendom.*  This  pow- 
erful armament  was  intended  to  give  to  Russia  the 
command  of  the  Palus  Moeotis,  f  as  the  best  and 
most  practicable  means  of  driving  the  Tartars  out 
of  the  Crimea ;  and  also  of  opening  a  free  commu- 
nication with  Circassia  and  Georgia  by  the  Couban 
and  through  these  countries  to  establish  a  commer- 
cial intercourse  with  Persia.  Such  were  the  grand 
designs  which  the  Czar  resolved  in  his  mind  on  the 
fall  of  Azof,  and  which,  in  later  times,  have  been 
fully  accomplished. 

In  order  to  impress  the  people  of  the  capital,  the 
boyars,  and  the  clergy  with  the  great  importance  of 
the  victory  gained  by  the  army  and  navy  of  his  own 
creating,  and  to  give  encouragement  to  his  troops  to 
engage  heartily  in  daring  enterprises  of  a  similar 

*  Voltaire's  History  of  the  Russian  Empire, 
f  The  ancient  name  of  the  Sea  of  Azof. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.         47 

kind,  he  caused  the  officers  of  both  services  to  enter 
the  ancient  capital  under  triumphal  arches,  amid 
the  firing  of  cannon  and  the  ringing  of  bells ;  and 
feasts,  entertainments,  fireworks,  illuminations,  and 
every  demonstration  of  joy  continued  for  several 
days.  Admiral  Le  Fort,  the  generals,  and  all  the 
officers  of  the  army  and  navy,  marched  in  proces- 
sion, and  took  precedence  of  the  Czar  Peter,  who 
disdained  all  rank,  being  desirous  of  convincing  his 
subjects  that  the  only  road  to  military  preferment 
was  by  meritorious  conduct.  On  this  occasion  the 
triumphal  entry  was  followed  by  the  captives  taken 
at  Azof ;  and  Jacob  the  traitor  was  placed  in  a  cart, 
with  an  executioner  on  each  side,  and  a  gallows 
above  his  head,  on  which  he  was  afterward  sus- 
pended, having  first  been  broken  on  the  wheel.* 
He  had  a  label  on  his  breast,  purporting  that  ' '  this 

*  Breaking  on  the  wheel  was  one  of  the  most  cruel  and  in- 
human methods  of  torture  ever  known.  The  victim  was 
placed  on  a  wheel,  with  his  arms  and  legs  extended  along  the 
spokes,  and  the  wheel  being  turned  round,  the  executioner 
fractured  his  limbs  by  successive  blows  with  an  iron  bar, 
which  were  repeated  till  death  ensued.  There  was  consider- 
able variety  in  the  mode  in  which  this  punishment  was  in- 
flicted, at  different  times  and  in  different  places.  By  way  of 
terminating  sooner  the  sufferings  of  the  victim,  the  execu- 
tioner was  sometimes  permitted  to  deal  two  or  three  severe 
blows  on  the  chest  or  stomach,  known  as  coups  de  grace; 
and  occasionally,  in  France  at  least,  the  sentence  contained  a 
provision  that  the  criminal  was  to  be  strangled  after  the  first 
or  second  blow.  Mercy  of  this  kind  was,  however,  not  always 
allowed  to  be  shown  to  the  victims  of  the  wheel, — Chambers' 
ENQYCLOPjaDIA, 


4:8  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GEEAT. 

wretch  had  five  times  changed  his  religion,  and  was 
a  traitor  to  God  and  man ;  that  at  first  he  was  a 
Roman  Catholic,  then  a  Protestant,  afterward  a 
Greek,  and,  lastly,  a  Mohammedan." 

The  laurels  which  had  thus  crowned  his  newly- 
formed  army,  the  honors  that  were  conferred  on 
foreigners  serving  as  oflicers  in  that  army,  and  the 
contributions  about  to  be  levied  for  the  support  of 
his  land  and  sea  forces,  together  with  the  many 
changes  which  the  Czar  was  making  in  their  ancient 
usages,  gave  great  offence  to  the  adverse  party,  and 
particularly  to  the  oflicers  of  the  Strelitzes,  who 
foresaw  that  his  measures  tended  to  a  speedy  dis- 
solution of  that  corps.  Instigated  by  this  reflection, 
a  certain  number  of  these  misguided  men  entered 
into  a  conspiracy  to  put  the  Czar  to  death.  The 
plan  was  to  set  fire  to  a  building  in  the  Kremlin,  at 
midnight ;  and  as  it  was  quite  certain  that  Peter 
would  be  instantly  on  the  spot,  one  of  them  was  to 
stab  him  privately,  when  in  the  midst  of  the  crowd. 
They  met  together  at  one  of  their  houses  on  the 
night  fixed  on  to  carry  this  diabolical  plot  into  exe- 
cution ;  but  two  of  the  conspirators,  either  from  fear 
of  detection  and  failure,  or  from  feelings  of  com- 
punction, went  to  the  Czar  and  laid  open  the  whole 
plot.  He  was  at  that  time  at  the  house  of  Admiral 
Le  Fort.  With  a  few  followers  he  proceeded  to  the 
house  where  the  conspirators  were  assembled,  and 
took  them  all  into  custody.  This  happened  on  the 
2d  of  February,  1697,  and  on  the  5th  of  March  they 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  49 

were  executed  in  the  grand  square  before  the  Krem- 
lin, and  their  heads  fixed  on  spikes  of  iron,  as,  not 
very  many  years  ago,  those  of  traitors  were  fixed 
on  Temple  Bar ;  *  with  this  difference,  that  the  spikes 
for  the  heads  of  the  Strelitzes  were  driven  into  a 
lofty  column,  erected  for  the  purpose  on  the  spot ; 
their  arms  and  legs  bound  round  the  column,  and 
their  trunks  thrown  on  the  ground  for  the  dogs  to 
devour.  The  principal  conspirators  are  said  to  have 
been  three  boyars,  a  colonel  of  the  Don  Cossacks, 
and  four  captains  of  the  Strelitzes.  f 

*  Temple  Bar,  at  the  point  where  Fleet  Street  now  passes 
into  the  Strand,  was  formerly  a  gateway  of  the  City  of 
London.  It  was  erected  in  1670  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren, 
and  was  massive  enough  to  bear  the  weight  of  the  very  heavy 
oaken  gates  or  doors  that  were  in  use  in  those  days.  The 
heads  of  criminals  were  stuck  on  spikes  on  the  Bar  and  thus 
exposed  to  public  view  for  the  moral  and  spiritual  edification 
of  the  beholders.  In  1878  the  Bar  was  removed  to  Theobald's 
Park,  near  Waltham  Cross,  Herts.  The  spot  where  it  for- 
merly stood  is  now  marked  by  the  Temple  Bar  Memorial. 

f  Nestesuranoi.     Lacombe.    John  Mottley. 
4 


CHAPTEE  III. 

The  Czar  Peter  travels   into   Holland— His  Residence   at 
Zaandam. 

The  conquest  of  Azof  being  accomplished  chiefly 
by  the  odd  plan  of  attack  proposed  by  General  Pat- 
rick Gordon  and  the  assistance  rendered  by  the 
ships  built  by  foreigners,  and  manned  chiefly  with 
them,  the  Czar  was  now  more  than  ever  convinced 
of  the  pre-eminence  of  the  natives  of  Western  Eu- 
rope over  his  own  barbarous  subjects.  This  con- 
sideration created  in  him  a  strong  desire  to  give  to 
the  latter  every  facility  and  encouragement  for  en- 
larging their  minds,  and  improving  themselves  in 
every  species  of  useful  knowledge,  and  more  particu- 
larly in  the  art  of  war,  and  the  construction  of  large 
ships  on  sound  principles  of  naval  architecture.  In- 
fluenced by  these  motives,  he  despatched,  in  1697 
sixty  young  Russians,  selected  by  Le  Fort  out  of 
his  regiment,  to  Yenice  and  Leghorn,  in  order  that 
they  might  make  themselves  acquainted  with  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  art  of  ship -building  and  navi- 
gation, and  particularly  with  the  construction  of 
row -galleys ;  and  forty  more  were  sent  to  Holland 
for  the  same  purpose.     A  large  number  were  des- 

50 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  51 

patched  to  Germany,  to  inform  themselves  in  the 
military  discipline  and  tactics  of  that  nation.  Not 
satisfied  with  this,  he  resolved  to  go  himself  into 
Holland,  Germany,  and  Italy,  to  procure  knovrledge 
by  his  own  observation  and  experience.  He  was 
particularly  anxious  to  make  himself  perfect  in 
every  branch  of  nautical  science,  and  the  several 
arts  connected  with  it.  ''It  was  a  thing,"  says 
Yoltaire,  ' '  unparalleled  in  history,  either  ancient 
or  modern,  for  a  sovereign  of  five-and-twenty  years 
of  age  to  withdraw  from  his  kingdom,  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  learning  the  art  of  govern- 
ment. ' ' 

The  time  seemed  favorable  for  such  an  under- 
taking. His  success  before  Azof,  the  gratification 
that  his  army  had  received  by  their  triumphal  entry 
into  Moscow,  the  increased  size  and  improved  dis- 
cipline of  that  army,  the  death  of  his  brother  Ivan, 
and  the  confinement  of  his  sister  Sophia,  all  con- 
spired to  assure  him  of  a  continuance  of  the  internal 
tranquillity  of  his  extensive  dominions ;  and  though 
the  clergy  were  clamorous  against  his  sending  Kus- 
sians  out  of  the  country,  and  going  himself  into 
foreign,  and  therefore  barbarous,  parts,  which  they 
said  was  an  abomination  before  the  Lord,  and  had 
been  so  ever  since  the  days  of  Moses,  and  therefore 
contrary  to  their  holy  religion ;  yet  as  Peter,  since 
his  successful  campaign,  and  the  death  of  his  brother, 
found  himself  treated  with  the  most  profound  re- 
spect by  the  generality  of  his  subjects,  he  did  not 


52  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

much  regard  the  anathemas  of  the  church,  or  the 
few  discontented  boyars,  but  adhered  steadfastly  to 
his  resolution;  and  in  the  same  year  1697,  set  out 
on  his  travels.  He  took  the  precaution,  however, 
of  ordering  General  Gordon,  in  whom  he  placed  the 
highest  confidence,  to  remain  at  the  capital  with 
four  thousand  of  his  guards  until  his  return,  which, 
as  matters  turned  out,  proved  to  be  the  salvation  of 
the  government  as  well  as  that  of  the  Czar  and  the 
whole  of  his  family.* 

As  yet  Peter  was  not  represented,  in  his  charac- 
ter of  sovereign,  at  any  of  the  courts  of  Europe,  of 
the  propriety,  and  indeed  the  necessity,  of  which 
he  would,  no  doubt,  have  been  apprized  by  his  friend 
and  mentor.  General  Le  Fort.  Having  therefore 
determined,  as  already  stated,  to  visit  in  person  the 
several  countries  mentioned,  he  appointed  an  em- 
bassy extraordinary  on  a  grand  scale  to  proceed,  in 
the  first  instance,  to  the  States- General  of  Holland, 
and  resolved  to  accompany  it  himself,  incognito^  in 
the  character  of  a  private  gentleman,  attached  to 
the  embassy.  The  three  persons  selected  as  am- 
bassadors were  General  Le  Fort,  Alexis  Golownin, 
governor  of  Siberia,  and  Yoristzin,  secretary  of  state 
for  foreign  affairs.  The  retinue  consisted  of  four 
principal  secretaries,  twelve  noblemen  and  gentle- 
men, six  pages,  and  a  company  of  fifty  of  the  Preo- 
brazenski   guards  f   with  their  officers,  the  whole 

*  Gordon's  Hist,  of  Peter  the  Great, 
t  See  above,  pp,  33,  34, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  53 

consisting  of  two  hundred  persons.  The  retinue  of 
the  Czar  was  a  valet,  a  livery  servant,  and  a  dwarf, 
the  latter  being  invariably  a  part  of  the  royal  es- 
tablishment of  Muscovy.  It  appears  also,  from 
documents  kept  in  the  dock-yard  of  Zaandam,  that 
his  favorite  Menzikoif  was  one  of  the  twelve  atten- 
dants. 

The  ambassadors  commenced  their  journey  in 
April,  1697,  proceeding  through  Esthoniaand  Livo- 
nia. They  visited  Riga,  and  the  Czar,  being  desir- 
ous of  seeing  the  fortifications  of  that  town,  was 
peremptorily  refused  by  the  governor.  Count 
D'Alberg.  This  want  of  courtesy  was  not  forgot- 
ten by  Peter  in  his  future  war  with  the  Swedes.* 
At  Konigsberg  the  embassy  was  received  with  royal 
munificence  by  the  King  of  Prussia.  While  in  Ger- 
many there  was  nothing  but  feasting  and  carousing. 
Mr.  Coxe,  on  anonymous  authority,  cites  the  fol- 
lowing passage :  ' '  Le  Fort  is  a  man  of  good  under- 
standing ;  very  companionable,  engaging,  and  enter- 
taining ;  a  true  Swiss  for  probity  and  bravery,  but 
chiefly  for  drinking.  Open  tables  are  kept  every- 
where, with  trumpets  and  music,  attended  with 
feasting  and  excessive  drinking,  as  if  his  Czarish 
majesty  had  been  another  Bacchus.  I  have  not  yet 
seen  such  hard  drinkers ;  it  is  not  possible  to  express 
it,  and  they  boast  of  it  as  a  mighty  qualification. ' ' 
The  description  may  be  just,  but  the  writer  may 
also  be  suspected  of  having  mistaken  Menzikoff  for 

*  Voltaire.    Nestesuranoi.    Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand, 


54  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Le  Fort.  At  one  of  these  bacchanalian  debauches, 
the  Czar  took  such  violent  offense  at  something  said 
by  Le  Fort,  that  he  instantly  drew  his  s\Yord,  and 
desired  him  to  defend  himself.  ' '  Far  be  it  from 
me, ' '  said  Le  Fort,  ' '  rather  let  me  perish  by  the  hand 
of  my  master. ' '  Peter  had  raised  his  sword,  but  one 
of  the  retinue,  of  the  name  of  Yon  Prinsen,  had 
presence  of  mind  to  catch  hold  of  his  arm,  and 
saved,  probably,  the  life  of  Le  Fort.  He  expressed, 
says  Yoltaire,  the  same  concern  for  this  short  trans- 
port of  passion  as  Alexander  showed  for  the  murder 
of  Clytus :  for  he  immediately  asked  that  gentle- 
man's pardon;  and  with  composure  observed,  that 
his  great  desire  was  to  reform  his  subjects ;  but  he 
Avas  ashamed  to  say  he  had  not  yet  been  able  to  re- 
form himself.  * 

Having  reached  Emmeric  on  the  Phine,  the  Czar, 
impatient  to  arrive  at  his  destination,  left  the  em- 
bassy, and,  having  hired  a  small  boat,  proceeded  to 
Amsterdam,  through  which,  says  Nestesuranoi,  he 
fiew  like  lightning,  and  never  once  stopped  till  he 
arrived  at  Zaandam,  fifteen  days  before  the  embassy 
reached  Amsterdam!  The  first  person  seen  by  the 
Russian  party  in  the  boat  was  a  man  fishing  in  a 
small  skiff,  of  the  name  of  Kist,  who  had  worked 
as  a  smith  in  Russia,  and  was  immediately  recog- 
nized by  one  of  the  six  persons  who  were  with  the 
Czar.  This  person  called  over  to  him  to  come  to 
them,  which  he  did.  The  man's  astonishment  may 
*  Voltaire — referring  to  MS.  Memoirs  of  Le  Fort. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  55 

be  conceived  on  seeing  the  Czar  of  Russia  sailing  in 
a  little  boat,  dressed  like  a  Dutch  skipper  in  a  red 
jacket  and  white  linen  trousers.  Peter  told  Kist 
he  wanted  lodgings,  and  should  like  to  take  them 
with  him.  Kist  was  but  in  poor  circumstances,  and 
would  have  excused  himself,  but  Peter  persisted ; 
and  a  poor  widow,  who  had  a  small  house  behind 
his,  consented  to  move  to  a  little  adjoining  hut,  in 
order  to  accommodate  the  royal  stranger.  Peter's 
lodgings  consisted  of  two  small  rooms,  with  a  loft 
over  them,  and  an  adjoinining  shed.*  Kist  received 
strict  injunctions  on  no  account  whatever  to  let  it  be 
known  who  his  lodger  was,  as  he  did  not  wish  to 
be  discovered.  To  the  questions  which  the  crowd, 
collected  to  see  the  strangers,  put  to  them,  the  Czar 
replied  (for  he  could  speak  the  Dutch  fluently),  that 
they  were  all  carpenters  and  laborers  from  a  foreign 
country,  who  had  come  to  Zaandam  in  search  of 
work.  But  no  one  believed  this ;  indeed,  the  rich 
clothes  of  his  companions,  who  had  kept  on  their 
proper  Russian  dresses,  suflftciently  contradicted  any 
such  idea. 

The  first  business,  after  landing,  which  Peter  set 
about,  and  which  showed  a  favorable  trait  in  his 
character,  was  to  inquire  after  and  visit  the  families 
and  the  widows  of  several  Dutch  seamen  and  ship- 
carpenters  with  whom  he  had  associated  at  Archangel 
and,  Pskov  representing  himself  to  each  as  a  brother 
ship-builder  of  their  relatives.  Among  others,  he 
*  Scheltema. 


56  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

paid  a  visit  to  the  widow  of  the  deceased  skipper 
Musch,  to  whom  he  had  sent  from  Archangel  a 
gratuity  of  five  hundred  guilders.  This  poor  woman 
said  ' '  she  was  afraid  she  never  could  be  sufficiently 
thankful  to  the  Czar  for  his  great  kindness,  but  en- 
treated him,  if  he  ever  might  be  permitted  to  come 
into  the  presence  of  his  Czarish  majesty,  to  tell  him 
how  very  welcome  the  gift  was  in  her  widowed 
state,  and  that  she  was  most  humbly  and  cordially 
thankful  for  his  kind  consideration. ' '  He  assured 
the  poor  woman  she  might  rely  on  the  Czar  being 
made  acquainted  with  all  she  had  said.* 

Having  made  all  his  inquiries  after  the  families 
of  his  Dutch  friends  in  Russia,  Peter  next  proceeded 
to  visit  the  shops  of  Zaandam,  to  purchase  carpen- 
ter's tools  for  himself  and  companions,  whom  he  had 
directed  to  clothe  themselves  in  the  common  dress 
of  the  dock-yards.  Among  these,  as  it  afterward 
turned  out,  were  his  youthful  companions  and  fa- 
vorites Menzikoff  and  Galitzin,  who  were  directed  to 
handle  the  tools  and  work  at  ship-building  as  well 
as  himself. 

The  day  following  their  arrival  being  Sunday,  all 
the  workmen  of  this  then  busy  and  populous  town, 
and  whole  crowds  from  Amsterdam,  hearing  of  the 
passage  of  the  strangers  to  Zaandam,  and  guessing 
from  the  report  of  those  who  had  seen  them  that 
they  were  the  forerunners  of  the  expected  embassy, 
assembled  before  the  small  lodgings  of  Peter  and 
♦  Scheltema. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  57 

those  of  his  companions,  very  much  to  the  annoy- 
ance of  the  former,  who  had  an  unconquerable  an- 
tipathy against  a  crowd,  and  more  especially  of 
strangers  assembled  to  look  at  him.  Besides,  the 
secret  of  his  real  character  was,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected, very  soon  divulged.  A  Dutch  resident  at 
Archangel  had  written  home  to  his  friends,  an- 
nouncing the  preparations  making  for  the  embassy, 
and  the  intention  of  the  Czar  to  accompany  it  in 
disguise,  enclosing,  at  the  same  time,  a  description 
of  his  person,  and  a  portrait  print.  Among  the 
crowd  which  curiosity  had  attracted  was  a  barber 
from  Amsterdam,  to  whom  the  letter  and  print  had 
been  shown ;  and,  as  it  would  seem  that,  from  the 
time  when  the  unsuccessful  experiment  was  made  by 
the  barber  of  Midas,  ^  none  of  these  gossiping  gentle- 
men have  made  a  second  attempt  to  hury  a  secret, 
the  shaver  of  Amsterdam,  on  seeing  Peter  called 
out  '^Dat  is  den  Czar  !  " — ''That  is  the  Czar!  "  f 

*  King  Midas,  being  called  on  to  judge  in  a  musical  contest 
between  Pan,  who  played  on  the  flute,  and  Apollo,  who 
played  on  the  lyre,  gave  his  decision  in  favor  of  the  former. 
Thereupon  Apollo  in  revenge  changed  the  king's  ears  into 
ass's  ears.  Midas  deftly  concealed  this  monstrosity  under  his 
Phrygian  cap,  but  his  servant,  who  was  also  his  barber,  so 
cut  his  hair  as  to  display  the  ears.  This  servant  was  so  much 
irritated  by  the  knowledge  of  this  secret  that,  to  relieve  him- 
self, he  dug  a  hole  in  the  earth,  whispered  into  it  the  words, 
"King  Midas  has  ass's  ears,"  and  then  filled  it  up  again. 
Later  a  reed  grew  upon  the  very  spot  and  the  whispering  of 
that  reed  in  the  wind  betrayed  the  secret.  For  a  secret  can- 
not be  suppressed  even  by  being  buried. 

f  Scheltema. 


58        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Indeed  no  one  could  mistake  him  who  had  ever 
heard  his  person  described.  ^'The  Czar,"  says  a 
Zaandammer,  <' is  very  tall  and  robust,  quick  and 
nimble  of  foot,  dexterous  and  rapid  in  all  his  ac- 
tions ;  his  face  is  plump  and  round ;  fierce  in  his 
look,  with  brown  eyebrows,  and  short  curling  hair 
of  a  brownish  color.  His  gait  quick,  swinging  his 
arms,  and  holding  in  one  of  them  a  cane."  The 
character  of  this  extraordinary  personage  was  devel- 
oped much  more  in  Holland  than  at  home.  He  was 
here  free  from  all  restraint,  and  subject  only  to  par- 
tial annoyance ;  the  natural  bent  of  his  mind  had, 
therefore,  free  scope.  Little  of  his  time  was  passed 
with  the  ambassadors;  it  was  almost  wholly  em- 
ployed among  the  ship-builders  of  Amsterdam,  and 
of  Zaandam ;  and  in  sailing  on  the  Y,  the  Pampus, 
and  the  Zuy-der-Zee ;  so  much  interested  were  the 
Dutch  in  all  that  he  said  and  did,  that  regular 
entries  were  made  in  the  da'g -register^  or  diary  kept 
at  Zaandam ;  and  all  those  inhabitants  with  whom 
he  was  in  daily  intercourse  made  memoranda  of 
what  occurred,  as  far  as  their  knowledge  extended. 
Many  of  these  little  notices  have  been  collected  by 
Noomen,  Calf,  Yan  Halem,  Meerman,  and  several 
others,  who  are  referred  to  by  Scheltema,  in  his 
Rusland  en  de  Nederlanden  heschouwd. 

The  cane  which  Peter  carried  in  his  hand  was 
sometimes  freely  used,  Avhen  anyone  attempted 
to  thwart  his  movements.  His  first  exploit  in  the 
dock-yard  of  Mynheer  Calf,  a    wealthy  merchant 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.        59 

and  ship-builder,  with  whom  he  was  prevailed  on 
to  lodge,  after  quitting  his  first  cabin,  was  to  pur- 
chase a  small  yacht,  and  to  fit  her  with  a  new  bow- 
sprit, made  entirely  with  his  own  hands,  to  the 
astonishment  of  all  the  shipwrights ;  they  could  not 
conceive  how  a  person  of  his  high  rank  could  sub- 
mit to  work  till  the  sweat  ran  down  his  face,  or 
where  he  could  have  learned  to  handle  the  tools  so 
dexterously.  When  this  little  vessel  was  ready 
for  sea,  he  appointed  Gerrit  Musch,  the  brother  of 
his  friend  who  died  at  Archangel,  as  his  captain; 
and  both  he  and  his  wife,  and  the  widow  of  the 
brother,  had  access  to  him  at  all  times  during  his 
stay,  and  received  from  him  many  tokens  of  his  re- 
gard in  little  presents  of  different  kinds,  all  of  which 
show  that,  notwithstanding  his  rude  and  violent 
temper,  he  was,  in  the  main,  a  kind-hearted  man. 
He  was  frequently  on  the  water,  sometimes  sev- 
eral hours  in  the  day.  His  extraordinary  rapidity 
of  movement  in  landing  or  embarking  used  to 
astonish  and  amuse  the  Dutch,  who  had  never  be- 
fore witnessed  such  "loopen,  springen,  en  klauteren 
over  de  schepen," — "  running,  jumping,  and  clam- 
bering over  the  shipping. ' '  The  curiosity  of  the 
Dutch  to  see  this  extraordinary  character  brought 
whole  swarms  from  the  capital,  on  Sundaj^s  and 
holydays,  so  that  all  the  windows  and  the  house- 
tops in  the  street  where  he  lodged  were  crowded 
with  people ;  but  he  confined  himself  closely  to  the 
house  at  such  times,    and  would    not   suffer    him- 


60  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

self  to  be  seen.  The  bailiff  (schoui),  two  burgo- 
masters, and  three  members  of  the  council  waited 
on  him  one  day  to  request  he  would  honor  them 
by  being  present  at  the  winding  up,  or  dragging 
a  ship  over  the  dam :  his  answer,  in  a  hurried  man- 
ner, on  seeing  a  great  crowd,  was,  "  Straks-straks  " 
— ^'By-and-by  ;  "  but  observing  the  multitude  to 
have  increased,  he  was  visibly  annoyed,  and  de- 
clined going,  and  with  evident  anxiety  said,  ''Te 
veel  volks,  te  veel  volks" — '*  Too  many  people, 
too  many  people ;  "  at  the  same  time,  throwing 
himseK  into  a  great  passion,  he  shut  the  door. 

The  following  day  the  crowds  that  beset  his  door 
were  greater  than  ever,  which  again  threw  him 
into  such  a  violent  rage  that  he  became  convulsed. 
Peter  had  been  subject  to  such  fits  from  his  early 
youth ;  they  are  said  to  have  been  first  occasioned 
by  the  fright  he  received,  when  some  of  the  Stre- 
litzes  forced  themselves  into  the  Trinity  convent, 
and  one  of  them  held  a  naked  sabre  over  his  head, 
when  b}"  his  mother's  side  before  the  altar.  He 
was  then  ten  years  of  age ;  but  it  is  much  more 
probable  they  were  an  original  and  constitutional 
disease,  to  which  other  members  of  his  family  were 
subject ;  and  though  they  diminished  in  frequency 
and  violence  with  years,  they  continued  to  afflict 
him  occasionally  till  his  death.  The  convulsive 
spasms  generally  came  upon  him  when  agitated  or 
much  excited,  and  he  remained  in  them,  sometimes, 
for  whole  hours.     These  paroxysms,  it  seems,  al- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  61 

ways  gave  warning  of  their  approach  by  a  contor- 
tion of  the  neck  towards  the  left  side,  and  by  a 
twitching  or  contraction  of  the  muscles  of  the  face ; 
and,  as  these  fits  had  never  been  observed  during 
his  childhood,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  some 
cause  should  be  assigned  for  their  production.  Bas- 
sevitz,  the  Holstein  envo}^,  ascribes  them  to  the 
effects  of  the  poison  supposed  to  have  been  given 
him  by  his  ambitious  sister  Sophia,  which  is  Avholly 
unsupported  by  any  other  authority,  and  is  in  it- 
self an  absurdity.  That  they  were  constitutional 
may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  all  the  male 
children  of  Alexis  were  more  or  less  subject  to  fits, 
though  none  so  violent  as  those  with  which  Peter 
was  affected ;  they  differed  from  epileptic,  and  were 
more  like  those  to  which  Bonaparte  was  subject, 
when  thrown  into  a  sudden  gust  of  passion,  and 
which,  in  his  case,  were  called  cataleptic. 

On  the  present  occasion,  the  Dutch  gentlemen 
who  had  waited  on  him  were  exceedingly  alarmed, 
but  his  companions,  who  had  been  accustomed  to 
see  him  in  paroxysms  of  this  kind,  sought  out  and 
placed  before  him  a  handsome  young  woman,  whose 
presence  speedily  led  to  his  recovery.*  Count  Paul 
Jagouchinsky  is  said  to  have  made  the  discovery  by 
accident,  when  he  was  page  to  the  Czar.  He  al- 
ways brought  to  him  either  the  Czarina  Catharine 
or,  in  her  absence,  the  first  young  woman  he  met 
with,  and  left  her  alone  with  him ;  whether,  he  ob- 
^  Scheltema, 


62        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

serves,  the  unexpected  appearance  of  a  young  and 
beautiful  woman,  or  the  pleasing  sound  of  her  voice, 
exerted  the  powerful  influence  on  his  frame,  it  is 
difficult  to  say ;  but  it  is  a  fact  that  it  had  the  tran- 
quillizing effect  of  subduing  his  passion  and  abating 
the  convulsions.  *  It  is  well  known  that  the  sight 
of  a  caracan^  or  black  beetle,  had  the  effect  of  throAV- 
ing  him  into  convulsions ;  and  why  then  should  not 
a  beautiful  object  produce  the  contrary  effect  of 
relieving  him  from  them? 

Subject,  however,  asL  he  was  to  these  bursis  of 
passion,  Peter  had  so  far  command  over  himself  as 
to  act  and  speak  with  all  humility  and  perfect  obe- 
dience, when  he  conceived  it  necessary  to  set  an 
example  for  others  to  follow.  Thus,  in  entering 
himself  as  a  ship-carpenter  in  the  dock-yard,  he 
strictly  adhered  to  the  regulations  under  which  his 
fellow-laborers  worked,  and  was  known,  at  his  own 
request,  by  the  name  of  Pieter  Timmerman  van 
Zaandam;  sometimes  as  Pieter  Baas,  or  Master 
Peter ;  and  generally,  when  in  Amsterdam,  as  Peter 
Michaelhoff .  It  is  stated  in  the  diary  of  Cornelius 
Calf,  that  he  was  an  early  riser,  made  his  own  fire, 
and  frequently  cooked  his  own  meals.  Mr.  Titsingh, 
a  most  respectable  gentleman,  who  died  in  1812,  at 
the  age  of  eighty,  was  told  by  a  sea-officer,  worthy 
of  all  belief,  who  was  living  in  the  year  1754,  that 
he  had  seen  Peter  at  his  work,  clad  as  a  common 
workman,  and  that,  when  anyone  wished  to  speak 

*  Staehlin ;  authority  Count  Paul  Jagouchinsky, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  63 

to  him,  he  would  go  with  his  adze  in  his  hand  and 
sit  down  on  a  rough  log  of  timber  for  a  short  time, 
but  seemed  always  anxious  to  resume  and  finish  the 
work  on  which  he  had  been  employed. 

One  day  either  the  great  Duke  of  Marlborough 
or  the  Earl  of  Portland  (the  narrator  is  doubtful 
which,  as  both  are  known  to  have  been  at  Zaan- 
dam),  came  to  the  yard,  and  asked  the  master  to 
point  out  to  him,  unnoticed,  the  Czar  among  the 
workmen,  as  he  wished  much  to  see  him  at  work. 
A  number  of  the  men  were  just  then  carrying  a 
large  beam  of  wood,  close  by  the  spot  where  Peter 
happened  to  be  sitting  at  the  time.  Having  shown 
the  stranger  the  object  of  his  curiosity,  the  master 
called  out,  "Peter  Timmerman,  why  don't  you 
assist  these  men?  "  Peter  immediately  rose  up  and 
obeyed,  placed  his  shoulder  under  the  log,  and 
helped  to  carry  it  to  its  proper  place.  When  at 
work  in  the  East  India  Company's  dock-yard  at 
Amsterdam,  he  received  a  letter  from  the  patriarch 
of  Russia,  in  answer  to  which  he  took  the  oppor- 
tunity of  observing  to  him,  among  other  things, 
that  ' '  in  Amsterdam  he  was  obedient  to  the  com- 
mands of  God,  which  were  spoken  to  father  Adam, 
'  in  the  sweat  of  thy  brow  shalt  thou  eat  thy  bread. '  ' ' 

It  was  observed  that  Peter  would  lend  a  helping 
hand  at  everything  connected  with  ship-building, 
such  as  rope-making,  sail-making,  smiths'  work,  &c. 
On  his  return  from  his  Archangel  expedition,  he 
gave  proof  of  what  he  could  do  in  forging  iron. 


04  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

On  visiting  MuUer's  manufactory  atlstia,  he  forged 
several  bars  of  iron,  and  put  his  own  mark  on  each 
of  them;  he  made  the  companions  of  his  journey 
blow  the  bellows,  stir  the  fire,  carry  coals,  and  do 
all  the  laboring  work  of  journeymen  blacksmiths. 
The  Czar  demanded  payment  from  MuUer  for  his 
work,  at  the  same  rate  as  he  paid  the  other  work- 
men. Having  received  eighteen  altins^^  ''  This 
will  serve, ' '  said  he,  ' '  to  buy  me  a  pair  of  shoes, 
of  Avhich  I  stand  in  great  need, ' '  at  the  same  time 
showing  those  he  wore,  which  had  already  been 
soled.  He  then  went  to  a  neighboring  shop,  bought 
a  pair  of  shoes,  and  took  great  pleasure  in  showing 
them,  saying  to  his  companions,  ' '  I  have  earned 
them  well,  by  the  sweat  of  my  brow,  with  hammer 
and  anvil. "  A  bar  of  iron  forged  and  marked,  with 
his  own  hand  is  still  in  the  cabinet  of  the  Academy 
of  Sciences  at  St,  Petersburg,  but  this  was  forged 
at  a  later  date  at  Olonetz.  f 

Not  satisfied  with  working  himself  in  the  dock- 
yard, he  insisted  that  Menzikoff  and  Golownin,  and 
a  third  person,  whose  name  the  Dutch  builders  were 
not  able  to  discover,  should  make  themselves  ac- 
quainted with  boat-building  and  mast-making ;  but 
the  third,  who  was  of  a  sickly  habit,  got  leave  very 
soon  to  return  to  Kussia.  Menzikotf  made  some 
progress,  but  complained  bitterly  of  his  sore  hands. 

*  The  altin  was  equal  to  three  copecks,  or  about  2^  cents, 
f  Nestesuranoi.     Staehlin  ;  on  the  authority  of  Peter  Mul- 
ler  son  of  the  above-mentioned  blacksmith. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  65 

It  would  seem,  however,  that  they  all,  except 
Peter,  affected  to  consider  their  labor  as  amusement 
only.  Latterly  they  hired  a  large  house,  and  lived 
all  together  merrily  and  frolicksome,  with  a  pro- 
fessed cook,  a  skilful  physician,  and  a  priest. 

On  the  public  entry  of  the  ambassadors  into  Am- 
sterdam, Peter  deemed  it  right  he  should  take  a 
part  in  the  procession,  which  was  got  up  with  all 
the  magnificence  that  their  high -mightinesses  in 
those  days  were  able  and  accustomed  to  display. 
The  three  ambassadors  went  first,  followed  by  a 
long  train  of  carriages,  with  richly-dressed  livery 
servants  on  foot ;  but  Peter,  in  the  simple  habit  of 
a  gentleman,  was  in  one  of  the  last  carriages ;  such, 
indeed,  according  to  our  custom,  was  his  proper 
place,  as  here  on  all  such  occasions  the  tail  is  pushed 
forward  while  the  head  remains  behind.  But  in 
Holland  it  is  different ;  and  in  this  situation  he  was 
not  recognized,  and  therefore  escaped  the  stare  of 
the  vulgar,  which  he  seemed  on  all  occasions  anx- 
ious to  avoid.  The  ceremony  being  ended,  Peter 
was  too  happy  to  return  to  his  favorite  residence  at 
Zaandam.  He  was,  however,  interrupted  in  his 
labors  a  second  time,  by  a  private  visit  he  thought 
it  right  to  pay  to  William  HI.  King  of  England, 
and  Stadtholder  of  the  United  Provinces,  who  was 
then  at  Utrecht,  and  afterward  at  his  private  resi- 
dence at  Loo.  The  speech  he  made  to  King  William 
on  this  occasion  could  not  have  been  written  by 
himself,  but  by  one  of  his  scribes,  being  full  of 
5 


66  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

bombast  and  fulsome  adulation.  He  thus  begins : 
* '  Most  renowned  Emperor  !  It  was  not  the  desire 
of  seeing  the  celebrated  cities  of  the  German  em- 
pire, or  the  most  powerful  republic  of  the  universe, 
that  made  me  leave  my  throne  and  my  victorious 
armies,  to  come  into  a  distant  country;  it  was 
solely  the  ardent  desire  of  paying  my  respects  to  the 
most  brave  and  generous  hero  of  the  day, ' '  &c. 

Having  made  a  sufficient  progress  in  ship-carpen- 
try to  satisfy  himself,  he  now  determined  on  seeing 
everything  that  was  new  to  him  in  Holland,  and 
among  other  things  to  visit  the  Greenland  fishing- 
ships.  "With  this  view  he  proceeded  to  the  Texel 
where  upwards  of  a  hundred  of  these  ships  had  ar- 
rived from  the  fishery.  He  went  on  board  several 
of  them,  inquired  into  the  manner  of  catching  the 
whales,  how  the  blubber  was  cut  off,  the  oil  boiled, 
the  whalebone  cut  out,  and,  in  short,  everything 
pertaining  to  the  whale-fishery.  J^othing  was  con- 
sidered by  hum  too  troublesome,  nothing  about  the 
fishing-ships  too  filthy,  while  acquiring  some  knowl- 
edge of  that  lucrative  species  of  commercial  enter- 
prise. It  was  the  same  in  all  other  matters:  he 
visited  all  the  manufactories,  all  the  windmills  for 
grinding  corn,  pressing  out  oil,  cutting  plank, 
pumping  water,  making  paper,  and  examined  the 
principles  on  which  they  were  constructed.  On 
seeing  any  new  object  he  instantly  inquired,  "  Wat 
is  dat  ?  "  and  being  told,  he  used  to  exclaim,  ^*  Dat 
wil   ik  zien" — ''I  shall  see  that."     Ten  times  a 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  67 

day,  while  accompanying  his  friend  Calf  and  others 
over  different  parts  of  the  neighborhood,  were  the 
words  repeated — ''  Wat  is  dat,"  and  ''Dat  wil  ik 
zien."  His  curiosity  was  unbounded,  and  the 
gratification  of  it  not  always  free  from  personal 
danger.  He  was  one  day  nearly  entangled  in  the 
machinery  of  a  windmill.  On  another  occasion  he 
mounted  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  large  cranes  on  the 
admiralty  wharf  in  Amsterdam,  when  his  foot 
slipped,  and  down  he  fell  on  the  pavement  and  in- 
jured his  leg ;  and  he  was  in  the  habit  of  carrying 
so  much  sail  in  his  little  boat  as  to  occasion  constant 
alarm  lest  she  should  be  overset.* 

Peter's  curiosity  was  by  no  means  of  that  idle 
kind  which  leads  to  no  profit ;  with  him  it  was  the 
inquisitive  daughter  of  ignorance  and  the  prolific 
mother  of  knowledge.  J^fothing  came  amiss  to  him. 
He  frequented  the  markets,  and  was  particularly 
amused  with  the  mountebanks  and  venders  of  quack 
medicines.  It  might  be  said  he  was  somewhat 
of  a  quack  himself;  he  learned  to  draw  teeth,  and 
became  skilful  by  a  little  practice  in  that  operation. 
He  attended  dissections  in  the  hospital,  and  learned 
to  bleed ;  and  these  useful  operations  he  followed 
Avith  great  zeal  after  his  return  to  Russia,  and 
practised  them  with  advantage  frequently  among 
his  workmen  and  in  the  army,  particularly  blood- 
letting. Sta3hlin  says  he  had  acquired  sufiicient 
skill  to  dissect  according  to  the  rules  of  art,  to  bleed, 
*  Scheltema. 


68  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

draw  teeth,  and  perform  other  operations  as  well  as 
one  of  the  faculty, — that  is  to  say,  the  Russian  fac- 
ulty, among  whom  surgery  may  be  supposed,  at  that 
time,  to  have  been  at  a  very  low  ebb.  He  tapped 
the  wife  of  a  Dutch  merchant  who  had  the  dropsy, 
but  the  operation  having  been  too  long  deferred, 
the  poor  woman  died,  as  the  regular  practitioners 
said  she  would :  and  by  way  of  consoling  the  hus- 
band for  his  loss,  the  Czar  attended  the  funeral. 

Peter,  it  would  seem,  was  always  ready  to  perform 
his  good  offices  in  the  surgical  way,  and  for  that 
purpose  always  carried  about  with  him  a  small  case 
of  surgical,  as  well  as  a  case  of  mathematical,  in- 
struments. Perceiving  one  day  a  valet  of  his,  named 
Balboiarof ,  sitting  with  a  sad  and  pensive  counte- 
nance, he  inquired  what  was  the  matter  with  him. 
' '  Nothing,  sire, ' '  answered  Balboiarof,  ' '  except 
that  my  wife  has  got  the  toothache,  and  refuses  to 
have  it  out." — ''Does  she!  "  said  the  Czar;  ''let 
me  see  her,  and  I  warrant  I '11  cure  her."  He  made 
her  sit  down  that  he  might  examine  her  mouth, 
though  the  poor  woman  protested  and  insisted  that 
nothing  was  the  matter  with  her.  ' '  Ay, ' '  said  the 
disconsolate  husband,  ' '  so  she  always  says  that  she 
suffers  nothing,  while  the  doctor  is  present." — 
' '  "Well,  well, ' '  said  the  Czar,  ' '  she  shall  not  suffer 
long;  do  you  hold  her  head  and  arms."  Peter 
caught  hold  of  a  tooth  with  the  instrument,  which 
he  supposed  to  be  the  bad  one,  and  drew  it  out  with 
great   expertness.     A   few  days  after  this,    Peter 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  69 

learned,  from  some  of  the  household,  that  the  poor 
woman's  tooth  ailed  nothing,  and  that  the  whole 
was  a  trick  of  the  husband  to  be  revenged  of  his 
wife's  supposed  gallantries.  Peter  was  not  to  be 
trifled  with;  his  own  sagacity  was  impugned  by 
drawing  out  a  sound  tooth — the  poor  woman  was 
pained  unnecessarily,  and  a  trick  was  put  upon  him ; 
he  called  his  valet  and  gave  him  a  severe  chastise- 
ment with  his  own  hands.  ^' 

Peter  finished  his  labors  at  ship-carpentry  by  as- 
sisting to  put  together  a  yacht,  which,  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  the  Burgomaster  Witsen,  was  to  be  present- 
ed to  him  as  a  gift  in  the  name  of  the  States- Gene- 
ral. Mr.  "Witsen  was  a  wealthy  ship-owner,  a  great 
patron  of  science,  having  sent  several  persons  at  his 
own  expense  to  make  discoveries  in  Northern  and 
Eastern  Tartary ;  an  account  of  which  was  published 
by  him.  Peter  was  constant  in  his  attendance  at 
the  putting  together  of  this  ship,  from  the  laying 
down  the  keel  to  her  completion  for  launching.  He 
gave  her  the  name  of  Amsterdam^  where  she  was 
built,  and  when  ready,  appointed  the  son  of  his 
deceased  friend  Musch  to  command  her. 

The  Jews  had  been  driven  out  of  Eussia  since  the 
time  of  the  Czar  Ivan  Yasilovitz.  They  now  applied 
to  this  kind-hearted  and  liberal  burgomaster  to  repre- 
sent to  the  Czar  Peter  their  hard  lot,  and  to  pray 
they  might  be  admitted  to  reside  there  on  the  same 

*  Staehlin  ;  authority  Mr.  Velton  (Felton),  chief  cook  to  the 
Czar. 


70  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

footing  with  other  foreigners ;  and  their  petition  was 
accompanied  with  the  offer  of  one  hundred  thousand 
florins  *  as  the  first  mark  of  their  gratitude,  should 
it  prove  successful.  The  Czar  heard  patiently  what 
he  had  to  say  in  their  favor,  and  then  replied,  "  My 
good  friend  Witsen,  you  know  the  Jews,  and  my 
countrymen's  opinion  of  them ;  I  also  know  both. 
In  the  light  in  which  they  are  held  by  the  latter, 
this  is  no  time  for  them  to  think  of  settling  in  my 
dominions.  You  may  therefore  tell  them  from  me, 
that  I  thank  them  for  their  offer,  and  that  I  should 
most  truly  feel  compassion  for  them,  were  they  to 
come  and  fix  their  abode  in  Kussia ;  for,  though 
they  have  the  reputation  of  knowing  how  to  cheat 
the  whole  world,  I  apprehend  my  countrymen  would 
prove  more  than  a  match  for  them."* 

By  M.  Witsen,  Peter  was  introduced  to  all  the 
learned  men  of  Holland,  and  those  who  had  in  any 
way  distinguished  themselves  in  the  arts  and  sci- 
ences. He  attended  regularly  Professor  Ruych's 
lectures  in  the  dissecting-room,  and  his  extensive 
museum  of  anatomical  preparations.  At  lectures 
he  used  to  sit  on  the  lower  bench  close  to  the  table, 
and  one  day,  as  the  professor  was  explaining  the 
connection  and  the  functions  of  the  different  parts 
of  the  human  body,  Peter,  having  heard  and  seen 

*  The  florin  of  the  Netherlands  was  valued  at  about  forty 
cents. 

f  Staehlin  ;  authority  M.  Hofy,  a  Dutch  surgeon,  who  fol- 
lowed Peter  into  Russia.    Scheltema. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  71 

''  how  fearfully  and  wonderfully  we  are  made,"  be- 
came so  excited  and  anxious,  that  he  jumped  from 
his  seat,  and  appeared  as  if  he  was  about  to  snatch 
the  scalpel  from  the  hands  of  the  dissector.  He 
visited  all  the  museums  of  natural  history  and  cabi- 
nets of  coins  and  medals  in  Amsterdam ;  the  houses 
of  artists,  engravers,  and  architects.  He  paid  a 
visit  to  Leuwenhoeck,  and  was  much  delighted  with 
his  microscopes.  He  invited  Bynkershok,  the  learned 
writer  on  international  law,  to  enter  his  service  and 
go  with  him  to  Russia.  At  The  Hague,  the  Baron 
Yan  Coehorn,  the  celebrated  engineer,  was  intro- 
duced to  him.  Among  other  things  he  wished  to 
see,  was  an  execution  of  a  condemned  criminal ;  and 
he  requested  the  Dutch  government  would  let  him 
know  when  such  an  event  might  take  place.  He 
accordingly  attended  the  trial  of  two  criminals,  and 
was  particularly  observant  of  all  that  took  place  in 
the  court,  at  the  passing  of  the  sentence,  and  after- 
ward at  the  execution.  But  it  would  appear  he 
thought  the  process  too  long,  at  least  he  profited  not 
much  by  the  careful  and  attentive  examination,  with 
which  the  documentary  evidence  was  considered 
by  the  judges,  before  the  sentence  of  death  was 
passed  on  the  criminals.  For  it  so  happened  shortly 
after,  that  an  affair  occurred  in  his  own  household, 
which  induced  him  to  send  two  of  the  offending 
party  to  prison  in  irons,  with  a  full  determination  of 
ordering  them  to  be  put  to  death.  The  burgomas- 
ters, however,  gave  him  to  understand  that  such  a 


72  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

thing  in  that  country,  and  in  their  city,  neither 
must,  nor  could,  nor  should  take  place ;  they  en- 
deavored with  great  earnestness  to  divert  him  from 
the  point,  and  prevail  on  him  to  release  the  prisoners ; 
but  all  they  could  obtain  from  him  was,  that  they 
might  be  released,  on  condition  that  the  one  should 
be  sent  on  a  voyage  to  Batavia,  and  the  other  to 
Surinam,  as  very  slender  punishments  for  the 
offence. 

Whatever  irregularities  Peter  might  sometimes  be 
guilty  of  himself,  he  never  overlooked  them  in  any 
of  his  followers.  One  of  the  priests  of  the  embassy 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  indulging  too  freely  in  the 
use  of  gin.  Peter  one  day  saw  him  very  much  in- 
toxicated, and  immediately  sentenced  him,  as  a  pun- 
ishment, to  turn  the  wheel  in  the  rope-yard.  He 
prayed  forgiveness,  showing  his  hands  how  wofully 
disfigured  they  were  by  this  unaccustomed  work; 
but  all  in  vain.  The  only  answer  he  got  was, 
*'  Quick,  quick  to  your  work."^ 

To  one  little  creature  that  he  brought  in  his  suite 
he  was  particularly  kind ;  and  this  was  his  dwarf, 
who  accompanied  him  on  all  occasions  of  festivity, 
and  stood  at  the  table  close  to  his  elbow.  One  day, 
when  M.  Witsen  and  some  others  were  going  in  a 
carriage,  and  some  one  observed  that  the  dwarf  had 
better  go  in  another,  as  the  Czar  might  be  incom- 
moded, he  said,  "By  no  means,"  and  took  the 
Lilliputian  on  his  knee.     It  is  remarkable  that  even 

*  Scheltema, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  ^3 

to  this  day,  these  little  creatures,  whom  nature  has 
abridged  of  their  fair  proportions,  are  to  be  found 
in  most  of  the  palaces  of  the  great,  in  Russia,  gayly 
dressed  in  a  uniform,  or  livery,  of  the  most  costly 
materials.  It  would  appear,  however,  that  royal 
and  noble  personages,  in  more  countries  than  Rus- 
sia, are  not  indisposed  to  have  some  butt,  be  he 
dwarf,  or  jester,  or  fool,  against  whom  they  may 
hurl  their  cutting  sarcasms  and  coarse  jokes,  and 
without  intending  it,  sometimes  inflict  wounds  that 
cannot  be  retaliated. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  give  an  exam- 
ple of  the  grotesque  and  barbarous  kind  of  exhibi- 
tions from  which  the  royal  family  and  the  court 
nobles  could  derive  amusement.  JS'atalia,  the  sister 
of  the  Czar,  once  took  the  whimsical  fancy  to  marry 
two  of  her  dwarfs.  She  had  several  little  coaches 
made  for  the  occasion,  and  little  ponies  (Shetland, 
Capt.  Bruce  calls  them)  were  provided  to  draw 
them ;  and  all  the  dwarfs  that  could  be  got  together, 
to  the  number  of  ninety -three,  Avere  summoned  to 
celebrate  the  nuptials.  A  grand  procession  was 
marched  through  all  the  streets  of  Moscow.  First 
went  a  large  open  wagon,  drawn  by  six  horses, 
with  kettle-drums,  trumpets,  horns,  and  hautboys; 
next  followed  the  marshal  and  his  attendants,  two 
and  two,  on  horseback ;  then  the  bridegroom  and 
bride,  in  a  coach  and  six,  attended  by  their  bride- 
man  and  maid,  and  they  were  followed  by  fifteen 
small  coaches,  each  drawn  by  six  ponies,  and  each 


74:        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

containing  four  dwarfs.  ' '  It  was  somewhat  surpris- 
ing," says  Bruce,  "  to  see  such  a  number  of  little 
creatures  in  one  company  together;  especially  as 
they  were  furnished  with  an  equipage  conformable 
to  their  statures."  Two  troops  of  dragoons,  and 
many  persons  of  fashion,  in  their  carriages,  joined 
in  the  procession.  A  grand  entertainment,  after  the 
ceremony  was  over,  was  given  by  the  princess,  and 
the  dwarfs  dined  together  at  two  long  tables,  the 
princess  with  her  nieces,  Anne  and  Elizabeth,  the 
Czar's  daughters,  seeing  them  all  seated  and  well 
attended  before  they  sat  down  at  their  own  table. 
' '  At  night  the  princess,  attended  by  the  nobility, 
conducted  the  married  couple  to  bed  in  grand  state, 
and  the  other  dwarfs  concluded  the  entertainment 
with  a  ball,  which  lasted  till  daylight."* 

While  the  Czar  was  in  Holland  he  received  the 
agreeable  intelligence  of  his  army  having  obtained 
a  victory  over  the  Turks  and  Tartars,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Crimea,  in  which  vast  slaughter  was 
occasioned  among  the  troops  of  the  enemy,  in  cross- 
ing a  river  in  their  flight,  when  great  numbers 
were  drowned  and  others  taken  prisoners.  An  at- 
tempt was  made  by  the  Tartar  galleys  to  seize  upon 
Azof,  but  the  Russian  vessels  made  an  attack  upon 
them,  and  drove  them  back,  taking  several  of  them, 
and  sinking  and  destroying  others.  The  Russian 
forces  were  commanded  by  Prince  Dolgorouki  and 
General  Shein. 

*  Memoirs  of  Peter  Henry  Bruce. 


LIFE  OB'  PETER  THE  GREAT.  75 

On  the  news  of  this  important  victory,  Peter  and 
his  ambassadors  received  the  congratulations  of  the 
plenipotentiaries  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  of 
Sweden,  Denmark,  and  Brandenburg;  but  the 
French  ambassador,  offended  at  the  Czar  having  so 
warmly  espoused  the  interests  of  Augustus,  who 
had  been  elected  King  of  Poland  against  the  pre- 
tensions of  the  Prince  de  Conti,  withheld  this  piece 
of  civility  which  the  occasion  and  common  courtesy 
would  seem  to  have  required.  The  only  revenge 
taken  by  the  Czar  was  a  determination  not  to  visit 
France  in  the  course  of  his  travels.  In  celebration 
of  this  event,  Peter  gave  a  grand  entertainment,  to 
which  all  the  officers  of  government,  and  the  prin- 
cipal merchants  of  Amsterdam,  with  their  wives  and 
daughters,  were  invited.  The  sumptuous  dinner 
was  accompanied  and  followed  by  a  band  of  music, 
and  in  the  evening  were  plays,  dancing,  masque- 
rades, illuminations,  and  fireworks.  His  respectable 
friend  Witsen  told  him  he  had  entertained  his  coun- 
trymen like  an  emperor.  ''It  was,"  says  Schel- 
tema,  ' '  a  most  agreeable  surprise  to  behold  at  Am- 
sterdam the  followers  of  the  embassy,  a  hundred 
hours  (500  miles)  from  their  birthplace,  joining  in 
their  own  country  dances. ' '  The  cheerfulness  and 
good-humor  of  the  Czar  were  particularly  noticed 
by  the  Hollanders. 

Peter  having  at  last  fully  satisfied  his  curiosity  in 
Holland,  where  he  had  spent  nearly  nine  months, 
went  for  the  last  time  to  take  an  affectionate  leave 


76  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

of  his  friends  and  fellow -laborers  of  Zaandam,  with 
whom  he  had  been  so  closely  and  intimately  con- 
nected for  a  great  part  of  the  time,  and  from  whom 
he  parted  with  a  regret  in  which  they  fully  recip- 
rocated. He  proceeded  to  the  Hague  along  with 
General  Le  Fort,  and  they  had  an  interview  with 
King  William,  when  it  was  arranged  that  two  or 
three  ships  of  war,  and  one  of  the  royal  yachts 
should  be  sent  over  to  Helvoetsluys,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  month  of  January,  to  convey  the  Czar 
and  his  suite  to  England. 


CHAPTEE  TV, 

The  Czar  Peter  visits  England. 

Two  ships  of  war  and  a  yacht,  under  the  orders 
of  Admiral  Mitchell,  were  despatched  to  Helvoet- 
sluys  to  bring  over  the  Czar,  who,  with  his  suite, 
consisting  of  Menzikoff  and  some  others,  whose 
names  are  not  mentioned,  embarked  at  that  port  on 
the  18th  of  January,  1698,  and  on  the  21st  reached 
London.  Here  he  made  no  secret  [of  his  rank], 
but  requested  to  be  treated  as  only  a  private  gentle- 
man ;  and  it  is  remarkable  enough  that,  though  he 
paid  frequent  visits  to  the  king,  and  attended  his 
court,  his  name  never  once  appears  in  the  only  oflSi- 
cial  paper  which  then,  as  indeed  now,  was  in  exist- 
ence, the  London  Gazette.  Lord  Shrewsbury,  at 
this  time,  was  secretary  of  state  for  foreign  affairs ; 
but  as  the  Czar  came  not  in  any  public  character, 
he  appears  to  have  been  placed  under  the  especial 
charge  of  the  Marquis  Caermarthen,  who  was  made 
lord-president  of  the  council  in  the  following  year. 
Between  this  nobleman  and  Peter  a  close  intimacy 
grew  up,  which  was  uninterrupted  during  the  Czar's  ^ 
abode  in  England.  A  large  house  was  hired  for 
him  and  his  suite  at  the  bottom  of  York  Buildings, 

77 


78  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

where  it  is  stated  in  a  private  letter,  the  marquis 
and  he  used  to  spend  their  evenings  together  fre- 
quently in  drinking  ' '  hot  pepper  and  brandy. ' '  The 
great  failing  of  Peter,  indeed,  was  his  love  of  strong 
liquors.  We  find  in  one  of  the  papers  of  the  day, 
that  he  took  a  particular  fancy  to  the  nectar  am- 
hrosia^  ^'the  new  cordial  so  called,  which  the  au- 
thor, or  compounder,  of  it  presented  him  with,  and 
that  his  majesty  sent  for  more  of  it. ' ' 

Of  the  proceedings  of  the  Czar,  during  the  four 
months  he  remained  in  England,  very  little  is  re- 
corded in  the  few  journals  or  other  publications  of 
that  day ;  the  former  consisting  chiefly  of  the  Post- 
master^ the  Postman  and  the  Postboy.  The  Post- 
man open  the  subject  of  the  Czar's  arrival  to  his 
countrymen  with  the  following  just  and  judicious 
remarks : — "  The  Czar  of  Muscovy,  desiring  to  raise 
the  glory  of  his  nation,  and  avenge  the  Christians 
of  all  the  injuries  they  have  received  from  the  Turks, 
has  abrogated  the  wild  manners  of  his  predecessors, 
and  having  concluded  from  the  behavior  of  his  en- 
gineers and  oflicers,  who  were  sent  him  by  the 
Elector  of  Brandenburg,  that  the  western  nations 
of  Europe  understood  the  art  of  war  better  than 
others,  he  resolved  to  take  a  journey  thither,  and 
not  wholly  to  rely  upon  the  relations  that  his  am- 
bassadors might  give  him ;  and  at  the  same  time,  to 
send  a  great  number  of  his  nobility  into  those  parts 
through  which  he  did  not  intend  to  travel,  that  he 
might  have  a  complete  idea  of  the  affairs  of  Europe, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  ^9 

and  enrich  his  subjects  with  the  arts  of  all  other 
Christian  nations;  and  as  navigation  is  the  most 
useful  invention  that  ever  was  yet  found  out,  he 
seems  to  have  chosen  it  as  his  own  part  in  the  gen- 
eral inquiry  he  is  about.  His  design  is  certainly 
very  noble,  and  discovers  the  greatness  of  his  genius ; 
but  the  model  he  has  proposed  to  himself  to  imitate 
is  a  convincing  proof  of  his  extraordinary  judg- 
ment ;  for  what  other  prince  in  the  world  was  a  fit 
pattern  for  the  great  Emperor  of  Muscovy  than 
Wniiam  the  Third,  King  of  Great  Britain  ?  ''* 

In  the  Postboy  it  is  stated,  that,  on  the  day  after 
his  arrival,  the  Czar  of  Muscovy  was  at  Kensington, 
to  see  his  majesty  at  dinner,  as  also  the  court ;  but 
he  was  all  the  while  incognito.  And  on  the  Satur- 
day following  he  was  at  the  playhouse,  to  see  the 
opera ;  that  on  the  Friday  night  the  revels  ended  at 
the  Temple,  the  same  being  concluded  by  a  fine 
masquerade,  at  which  the  Czar  of  Muscovy  was 
present ;  that  on  the  following  Sunday  he  went  in  a 
hackney-coach  to  Kensington,  and  returned  at  night 
to  his  lodgings  in  ]^orfolk-street,  where  he  was 
attended  by  several  of  the  king's  servants. 

His  movements  during  the  rest  of  the  month, 
were  a  journey  to  Woolwich  and  Deptford,  to  see 
the  docks  and  yards ;  then  to  the  theatre,  to  see  the 
Kival  Queens,  or  Alexander  the  Great;  to  St. 
James's,  to  be  present  at  a  fine  ball ;  and  it  is 
further  stated,  that  he  was  about  to  remove  from 
*  Postman,  No,  417. 


80  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Norfolk-street  (York  buildings)  to  Eeclriff,  where  a 
ship  was  building  for  him ;  that  he  was  about  to  go 
to  Chatham,  to  see  a  man-of-war  launched,  which 
he  was  to  name;  and  that  on  the  15th  of  February, 
accompanied  by  the  Marquis  of  Caermarthen,  he 
went  to  Deptford,  and  having  spent  some  time  on 
board  the  ' '  Koyal  Transport, ' '  they  were  afterward 
splendidly  treated  by  Admiral  Mitchell.  These  are 
the  principal  notices  concerning  the  Czar  Peter  con- 
tained in  the  Postboy. 

It  is  evident  that  London  could  not  be  very  agree- 
able to  him,  on  two  accounts;  first,  because  his 
great  object  in  coming  here  was  to  see  the  dock- 
yard establishments,  and  to  profit  also  by  observing 
the  English  mode  of  making  draughts  of  ships,  and 
laying  them  off  in  the  mold-loft ;  and  to  acquire 
some  knowledge  in  the  theory  of  naval  architecture 
and  navigation,  which  he  had  heard,  when  in  Hol- 
land, was  superior  to  what  he  had  seen  or  could 
obtain  in  that  country,  though  it  was  assumed  that 
the  mechanical  part  of  finishing  and  putting  together 
a  ship  was  there  fully  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the 
English. 

In  the  next  place  he  was  equally  annoyed  by  the 
crowds  he  was  continually  meeting  in  the  streets  of 
London,  as  he  had  been  in  Amsterdam,  and  this  he 
could  not  bear  with  becoming  patience.  It  is  said, 
that  as  he  was  one  day  walking  along  the  Strand 
with  his  friend  the  Marquis  of  Caermarthen,  a  por- 
ter, with  a  hod  on  his  shoulder  rudely  rushed  against 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  81 

him  and  drove  him  into  the  kennel.  He  was  ex- 
tremely indignant,  and  ready  to  knock  him  down ; 
but  the  marquis,  interfering,  asked  the  man  what 
he  meant,  and  if  he  knew  whom  he  had  so  rudely 
run  against,  adding,  ' '  that  it  was  the  Czar. ' '  The 
porter,  turning  round,  replied  with  a  grin,  ''  Czar  ! 
we  are  all  Czars  here. ' '  But  that  which  annoyed 
him  most  of  all  was  the  intrusion  of  the  citizens  into 
his  lodgings,  and  into  the  room  even  where  he  was 
eating,  to  which  they  gained  access  through  the 
king's  servants.  Disgusted  at  their  impertinent 
curiosity,  he  would  sometimes  rise  from  table,  and 
leave  the  room  in  a  rage.  To  prevent  this  intrusion, 
he  strictly  charged  his  domestics  not  to  admit  any 
persons  whatever,  let  their  rank  be  what  it  might. 
A  kind  of  forced  interview,  however,  was  obtained 
by  two  Quakers,  the  account  of  which,  as  given  by 
one  of  them,  is  singular  and  interesting : — 

"Anno  1697.  At  this  time  Peter  the  Great, 
Czar  of  Muscovy,  being  in  London,  incog, ,  and  Gil- 
hert  Molly  son  {Robert  Barclay''  s  wife's  brother)  hav- 
ing heard  that  a  kinsman  of  his  was  in  the  Czar's 
service,  and  being  desirous  to  increase  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth,  requested  me  to  go  with  him,  in 
quest  of  his  kinsman,  to  the  Czar's  residence,  a  large 
house  at  the  bottom  of  Yorh  Buildings,  in  order  to 
present  him  with  some  of  Robert  Barclay'' s  Apolo- 
gies, in  Latin;  hoping  that,  by  that  means,  they 
might  fall  under  the  Czar's  notice,  and  be  sub- 
servient to  the  end  proposed.  And  accordingly  we 
6 


82  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

went  one  morning ;  and  when  we  came  to  the  place, 
Gilbert  inquired  of  the  porter  after  his  cousin,  but 
could  not  hear  anything  of  him  in  the  lower  apart- 
ments, but  was  desired  to  stay  till  further  inquiry 
was  made  in  the  house ;  and  a  servant  went  up-stairs 
to  that  end,  and  when  returned  invited  us  up.  The 
head  of  the  staircase,  on  the  first  floor,  brought  us 
to  the  entrance  of  a  long  passage,  which  went 
through  the  middle  of  the  house,  and  there  stood  a 
single  man  at  a  large  window,  at  the  further  end, 
next  the  river  Thames^  to  whom  we  were  directed 
for  intelligence ;  and  as  we  passed  along,  we  ob- 
served two  tall  men  walking  in  a  large  room  on  the 
right  hand,  but  we  did  not  stop  to  look  at  them,  only 
transiently  as  we  moved;  for,  supposing  one  of 
them  to  be  the  Czar,  of  whom  I  had  heard  that  he 
was  not  willing  to  be  looked  upon,  and  careful  not 
to  offend  him,  we  behaved  with  caution,  and  went 
directly  to  the  persou  standing  at  the  window,  of 
whom  Gilbert  Molly  son  inquired  after  his  kinsman ; 
and  he  told  us  that  such  a  person  had  been  in  the 
Czar's  service,  but  was  dead. 

'*  In  the  mean  time  came  the  Czar  and  the  other 
to  us ;  the  other,  I  suppose  was  Prince  Menzikoff , 
his  general.  Our  backs  were  towards  them,  and 
our  hats  on ;  and  when  they  approached,  the  person 
with  whom  we  had  conversed  looked  down  upon 
the  floor  with  profound  respect  and  silence ;  but  we 
stood  in  our  first  posture,  with  our  faces  towards 
the  window,  as  if  we  had  not  taken  any  notice  of 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  83 

them.  The  person  we  had  conversed  with  was  an 
Englishman^  a  Muscovy  merchant,  known  to  the 
Czar  in  his  own  country,  who  understood  his  lan- 
guage, and  was  his  interpreter.  Then  the  Czar 
spoke  something  to  him  which  we  did  not  under- 
stand; upon  which  he  asked  us,  'Why  do  you  not 
pay  respect  to  great  persons,  when  you  are  in  their 
presence  ?  '  I  answered,  '  So  we  do,  when  we  are 
fully  sensible  of  it,  especially  to  kings  and  princes. 
For  though  we  have  laid  aside  and  decline  all  vain 
and  empty  shows  of  respect  and  duty,  and  flattering 
titles,  whereby  they  are  generally  deceived  by  in- 
sincere and  designing  men,  who  seem  to  admire 
them  for  their  own  ends,  yet  we  yield  all  due  and 
sincere  respect  and  duty  to  such,  and  all  in  author- 
ity under  them,  by  giving  ready  obedience  to  all 
their  lawful  commands ;  but  when  at  any  time  any 
of  them,  either  through  tyranny  or  ignorance,  or  ill 
counsel,  happens  to  command  any  thing  contrary  to 
our  duty  to  tbe  Almighty,  or  his  Son  Christ  our 
Lord,  then  we  offer  our  prayers  and  tears  to  God, 
and  humble  addresses  unto  such  rulers,  that  their 
understandings  may  be  opened  and  their  minds 
changed  towards  us. ' 

' '  The  Czar  gave  no  reply  to  this,  but  talked  with 
his  interpreter  again,  who  then  asked,  '  Of  what  use 
can  you  be  in  any  kingdom  or  government,  seeing 
you  will  not  bear  arms  and  fight  ?  '  *     To  this  I  re- 

*  It  is  whimsical  enough  to  see  how  different  minds  jump 
to  different  conclusions.    When  it  was  told  that  those  ami- 


84  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

plied,  '  That  many  of  us  had  borne  arms  in  times 
past,  and  been  in  many  battles,  and  fought  with 
courage  and  magnanimity,  and  thought  it  lawful 
and  a  duty  then,  in  days  of  ignorance ;  and  I  myself 
have  worn  a  sword  and  other  arms,  and  know  how 
to  use  them :  but  when  it  pleased  God  to  reveal  in 
our  hearts  the  life  and  power  of  Jesus  Christ,  his 
Son,  our  Lord,  who  is  the  Prince  of  righteousness 
and  peace,  whose  commandment  is  love,  we  were 
then  reconciled  unto  God,  one  unto  another,  unto 
our  enemies,  and  unto  all  mankind. '  ' ' 

Thomas  Storey  goes  on  at  great  length,  and  ac- 
tually preaches  a  sermon  on  this  text,  the  Czar 
patiently  listening  to  what  he  could  not  understand. 

''  Upon  this,"  he  continues,  "  the  Czar  took  sev- 
eral turnskin  the  gallery,  or  passage,  and  then  came 
and  looked  steadfastly  upon  us,  though  we  did  not 
seem  to  mind  hun,  or  know  that  it  was  he.  Then 
I  said  to  the  interpreter,  '  That  we  understood  that 
there  was  a  person  of  great  dignity  and  distinction 
in  that  place,  a  stranger,  very  inspections  into  the 
state  of  affairs  and  things  in  general ;  and,  no  doubt, 
might  be  also  inquisitive  into  the  state  of  religion ; 
and  we  (being  a  people  differing  in  some  points  from 

able  creatures  of  Loo-Choo  had  no  arms  and  no  money — 
"  What !  "  exclaims  Bonaparte,  "  no  arms  !  how  do  they  con- 
quer other  countries,  or  defend  their  own  ?  " — "  No  money  ! " 
says  a  kind-hearted  chancellor  of  the  exchequer,  "how  do 
they  carry  on  the  government?"  And  "Of  what  use,"  says 
Peter  to  the  Quakers,  "  can  you  be  in  any  kingdom,  si^ce  you 
^U  not  bear  arms  and  fight  ?  " 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  85 

all  others,  and  so  much  misunderstood  and  misrepre- 
sented in  our  own  country,  that  even  our  neighbors 
themselves  did  not  know  us),  lest  that  great  prince 
should  be  misinformed,  and  imposed  upon  concern- 
ing us  and  our  religion,  had  brought  him  some 
books,  dedicated  to  the  sovereign  of  our  native  coun- 
try, by  which  he  might  please  to  see  a  full  account 
of  our  principles. '  We  then  produced  two  of  the 
'  Apologies'  in  Latin. 

''  Then  the  Czar  talked  again  with  his  interpreter, 
who  asked  us,  '  Were  not  these  books  writ  by  a 
Jesuit?  It  is  said  there  are  Jesuits  among  you.'* 
— To  which  Gilbert  Mollyson  replied,  '  That  is  a 
calumny,  and  proves  the  necessity  of  our  endeavors, 
in  that  respect,  at  this  time.  We  have  no  Jesuits 
among  us.  Our  religion  and  theirs  differ  very 
widely.  This  book  was  writ  by  a  near  relation  of 
mine,  who  was  not  a  Jesuit,  but  sincerely  of  those 
principles  asserted  and  maintained  in  the  book,  as 
our  whole  community  is. ' 

' '  And  then  the  Czar  and  interpreter  talked  to- 
gether ;  after  which  the  latter  took  some  gold  out  of 
his  pocket,  and  offered  us  for  the  books.  But  I  told 
them,  '  We  were  no  such  men  as  to  want  anything 
for  the  books,  or  otherwise.     They  were  a  present 


*  It  was  not  without  reason  that  Peter  put  this  question. 
Just  at  this  time  a  correspondence  was  passing  between 
Bishop  Tillotson  and  William  Penn,  the  former  having  charged 
the  latter  with  keeping  up  a  communication  with  the  Jesuits 
at  Rome. 


86  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

to  that  great  prince,  and  given  freely :  and  all  that 
we  desired  was  that  they  might  be  acceptable ;  and 
that  in  case  any  of  our  friends  should,  at  any  time 
hereafter,  come  into  his  country,  and  preach  those 
principles  contained  in  the  books,  and  if  they  should 
meet  with  opposition,  and  be  persecuted,  by  any 
officers  or  persons  in  power  under  him,  for  the  same, 
he  would  please  to  afford  them  protection  and  relief. ' 
— Then  they  talked  together  again,  and  the  inter- 
preter kept  the  books;  and  the  Czar  and  Prince 
Menzikoff  retired  into  the  room  from  whence  they 
came. 

''  They  being  gone,  we  asked  the  interpreter,  ^  If 
that  was  the  Czar? '  He  said  he  was.  Then  we 
asked  him  if  he  had  told  the  Czar  the  substance  of 
what  we  had  said?  And  he  said  he  had.  Then  we 
desired  that  if  he  asked  him  any  more  questions 
about  us  and  our  religion,  not  to  mention  to  him 
any  of  those  rude  calumnies  thrown  upon  us  by 
ignorant  and  malicious  persons,  but  the  truth,  to 
the  best  of  his  observation  and  information ;  and  he 
promised  he  would.  Then  he  told  us  that  the  Czar 
did  not  understand  the  Latin  tongue ;  but  onl}^  his 
own  language  and  Dutch.  Then  Gilbert  MoUyson 
gave  one  of  the  '  Apologies '  to  the  interpreter  (for 
he  had  several  with  him),  and  so  we  departed  in 
peace  and  satisfaction. 

^ '  This  was  about  the  beginning  of  the  week,  and 
the  next  first  day  the  Czar,  the  prince,  and  a  great 
company  of  his  other  attendants  came  in  the  morn- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  87 

ing  to  our  meeting  in  Grace  Church  Street^  all  in 
English  habits,  like  English  gentlemen,  and  the 
same  interpreter  with  him.  I  happened  to  be  there 
in  the  gallery,  and  the  first  I  knew  was  Menzikoff. 
Robert  Haddock  had  begun  to  preach  a  little  before 
they  came  in,  upon  the  subject  of  ^  Naaman^  the 
captain-general  of  the  host  of  the  Assyrians^  going 
to  the  prophet  for  cure  of  his  leprosy,  etc.  [Here 
follows  the  substance  of  Robert  Haddock's  ser- 
mon.] 

' '  And  the  Czar  and  the  interpreter  were  often 
whispering  together  in  the  time,  though  Eobert 
Haddock  knew  nothing  of  his  being  in  the  meeting ; 
and  thus  he  staid  very  sociably,  till  observing  the 
people  crowd  up  before  him  to  gaze  (which  he  could 
not  endure),  he  retired  on  a  sudden,  along  with  his 
company,  before  the  meeting  was  quite  over ;  for 
some  people  in  the  streets  had  seen  him  as  he  came, 
and,  by  some  means,  had  discovered  who  he  was, 
and  crowded  after  him  to  see  him  more  perfectly. 

' '  After  this  he  went  incognito  to  Deptfm^d^  to 
improve  himself  in  the  art  of  ship-building,  and 
there  wrought  at  it  with  his  own  hands ;  and  Gil- 
hert  Mollyson  and  I  acquainting  some  Friends^  how 
we  happened  to  see  him,  and  had  given  him  some 
books,  and  that  he  understood  the  Dutch^  William 
Penn,  George  Whitehead,  and  some  other  friends 
went  to  Dejptford,  and  waited  on  him  privately,  and 
presented  him  with  more  of  the  same  books  in  that 
language,   which  he  received  very  graciously.     A 


88  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

conversation  ensued  between  them  in  the  same  lan- 
guage, which  William  Penn  spoke  fluently.  The 
Czar  appeared  to  be  much  interested  by  it,  so  that 
the  visit  was  satisfactory  to  both  parties.  Indeed, 
he  was  so  much  impressed  by  it  that  afterward, 
while  he  was  at  Deptford,  he  occasionally  attended 
the  meeting  of  the  Quakers  there,  where  he  con- 
ducted himself  with  great  decorum  and  condescen- 
sion, changing  seats,  and  sitting  doAvn,  and  standing 
up,  as  he  could  best  accommodate  others.  E'or  was 
this  impression  of  short  duration,  for  in  the  year 
1712,  that  is,  sixteen  years  afterward,  when  he  was 
at  Frederickstadt,  in  Holstein,  with  five  thousand 
men  to  assist  the  Danes  against  the  Swedes,  one  of 
his  first  inquiries  was,  whether  there  were  any 
Quakers  in  the  place ;  and  being  told  there  were,  he 
signified  his  intention  of  'attending  one  of  their 
meetings.  A  meeting  was  accordingly  appointed, 
to  which  he  went,  accompanied  by  Prince  Menzikoff 
and  General  Dolgorouky,  and  several  dukes  and 
great  men.  Soon  after  they  were  seated  the  wor- 
ship began ;  Philip  Defair,  a  Quaker,  rose  up  and 
preached.  The  Muscovite  lords  showed  their  re- 
spect by  their  silence,  but  they  understood  nothing 
of  what  was  said.  To  remedy  this,  the  Czar  him- 
self occasionally  interpreted  as  the  words  were 
spoken,  and  when  the  discourse  was  over,  he  com- 
mended it  by  saying,  that  whoever  could  live  ac- 
cording to  such  doctrines  would  be  happy."* 
*  Life  of  Thomas  Storey,  and  Clarkson's  Life  of  Wm.  Penn, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  89 

Storey  further  states  that  the  ' '  Friends  ' '  of 
Frederickstadt  related  many  things  of  a  good  ten- 
dency concerning  the  Czar,  one  of  which  was  this, 
"  That  he  used  quite  another  way  with  his  officers, 
and  others,  than  had  been  reported  of  him,  when 
in  his  own  country ;  for  he  was  so  familiar,  that  he 
Avould  have  them  call  him  sometimes  by  his  name, 
and  seemed  better  pleased  with  that  way  than  his 
former  distance :  only  in  times  of  their  worship, 
which  they  sometimes  held  in  the  market-place,  he 
would  then,  as  is  usual  at  home,  resume  great  dig- 
nity on  him ;  and  one  time,  being  rainy  weather 
when  they  were  at  it,  he  wearing  his  own  hair, 
pulled  off  the  great  Avig  from  one  of  his  dukes,  and 
put  it  on  himself,  to  cover  him  from  the  rain,  mak- 
ing the  owner  stand  bareheaded  the  while :  for  it 
seems  he  is  so  absolute,  that  there  must  be  no  grum- 
bling at  what  he  does,  life  and  estate  being  wholly 
at  his  discretion. ' ' 

The  practice  here  mentioned  would  seem  to  have 
been  not  unusual  with  the  Czar.  One  Sunday, 
being  at  Dantzic,  on  his  second  journey  to  Holland, 
he  attended  divine  service,  and  was  conducted  by 
the  burgomaster  to  his  seat.  Peter  made  the  bur- 
gomaster sit  down  by  him;  he  listened  to  the 
preacher  with  the  greatest  attention,  keeping  his 
eyes  constantly  turned  towards  the  pulpit,  while 
those  of  the  whole  congregation  were  fixed  upon 
himself.  Feeling  his  head  grow  cold,  Peter,  appa- 
rently unconscious  of  what  he  was  doing,  took  the 


90  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

large  wig  which  flowed  over  the  shoulders  of  the 
burgomaster  off  his  head,  and  put  it  on  his  own,  to 
the  astonishment  of  the  good  people  of  Dantzic. 
When  the  sermon  was  ended,  Peter  restored  the 
wig,  and  thanked  the  burgomaster  by  an  inclination 
of  the  head.  One  of  his  nobles  told  the  burgo- 
master that  the  Czar  was  unmindful  of  such  matters, 
and  that  it  was  a  common  custom  with  him  when  at 
church,  as  often  as  he  felt  his  head  cold,  to  take 
Menzikoff's  wig,  or  that  of  any  other  who  happened 
to  be  within  his  reach.  ^ 

One  month's  residence  having  satisfied  Peter  as 
to  what  was  to  be  seen  in  London,  and  having  ex- 
pressed a  strong  desire  to  be  near  some  of  the  king's 
dockyards,  it  was  arranged  that  a  suitable  residence 
should  be  found  near  one  of  the  river  establish- 
ments ;  and  the  house  of  the  celebrated  Mr.  Evelyn, 
close  to  Deptford  dockyard,  being  about  to  become 
vacant,  by  the  removal  of  Admiral  Benbow,  who 
was  then  its  tenant,  it  was  immediately  taken  for 
the  residence  of  the  Czar  and  his  suite ;  and  a  door- 
way was  broken  through  the  boundary  wall  of  the 
dockyard,  to  afford  a  direct  communication  between 
it  and  the  dwelling-house.  This  place  had  then  the 
name  of  Saye's  Court.  It  was  the  delight  of  Eve- 
lyn, and  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  all  men  of 
taste  at  that  time.  The  grounds  are  described,  in 
the  life  of  the  Lord-keeper  Guilford,  as  "most  bos- 
caresque,  being,    as   it   were,    an   exemplary  of  his 

*  Staehlin  :  authority  of  Mr.  Wahl,  syndic  of  Dantzic, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  91 

(Evelyn's)  book  of  forest  trees."  Admiral  Benbow 
had  given  great  dissatisfaction  to  the  proprietor  as 
a  tenant,  for  he  observes  in  his  "  Diary  " — ''I  have 
the  mortification  of  seeing,  every  day,  much  of  my 
labor  and  expense  there  impairing  from  want  of  a 
more  polite  tenant."  It  appears,  however,  that 
the  princely  occupier  was  not  a  more  *  ^  polite  tenant ' ' 
than  the  rough  sailor  had  been,  for  Mr.  Evelyn's 
servant  thus  writes  to  him, — '<■  There  is  a  house  full 
of  people  right  nasty. "^  The  Czar  lies  next  your 
library,  and  dines  in  the  parlor  next  your  study. 
He  dines  at  ten  o'clock  and  six  at  night ;  is  very 
seldom  at  home  a  whole  day ;  very  often  in  the 
king's  yard,  or  by  water,  dressed  in  several  dresses. 
The  king  is  expected  there  this  day ;  the  best  parlor 
is  pretty  clean  for  him  to  be  entertained  in.  The 
king  pays  for  all  he  has."t  But  this  was  not  all : 
Mr.  Evelyn  had  a  favorite  holly  hedge,  through 
which,  it  is  said,  the  Czar,  by  way  of  exercise,  used 
to  be  in  the  habit,  every  morning,  of  trundling  a 
wheel-barrow.  Mr.  Evelyn  probably  alludes  to  this 
in  the  folio Aving  passage,  wherein  he  asks,  ' '  Is 
there,  under  the  heavens,  a  more  glorious  and  re- 
freshing object,  of  the  kind,  than  an  impregnable 
hedge  of  about  four  hundred  feet  in  length,  nine 
feet  high,  and  five  in  diameter,  which  I  can  still 
show  in  my  ruined  garden  at  Saye's  Court  (thanks 

*  In  England  the  word  "nasty"  is  used  in  the  sense  of 
"  disagreeable." 
f  Memoirs  of  J.  Evelyn. 


03  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

to  the  Czar  of  Muscovy),  at  any  time  of  the  year, 
glittering  with  its  armed  and  variegated  leaves ;  the 
taller  standards,  at  orderly  distances,  blushing  with 
their  natural  coral  ?  It  mocks  the  rudest  assaults 
of  the  weather,  beasts,  or  hedge-breakers, — et  ilium 
nemo  impune  lacessit"  (''and  no  one  can  injure 
that  with  impunity").* 

Alas!  for  the  glory  of  the  glittering  hollies, 
trimmed  hedges,  and  long  avenues  of  Saye's  Court; 
Time,  that  great  innovator,  has  demolished  them 
all,  and  Evelyn's  favorite  haunts  and  enchanting 
grounds  have  been  transformed  into  cabbage-gar- 
dens; that  portion  of  the  victualling-yard  where 
oxen  and  hogs  are  slaughtered  and  salted  for  the  use 
of  the  navy,  now  occupies  the  place  of  the  shady 
walks  and  the  trimmed  hedges,  which  the  good  old 
Evelyn  so  much  delighted  in ;  and  on  the  site  of  the 
ancient  mansion  now  stands  the  common  parish 
workhouse  of  Deptford  Stroud. 

We  have  little  evidence  that  the  Czar,  during  his 
residence  here,  ever  worked  as  a  shipwright;  it 
would  seem  that  he  was  employed  rather  in  acquir- 
ing information  on  matters  connected  with  naval 
architecture,  from  that  intelligent  commissioner  of 
the  navy  and  surveyor.  Sir  Anthony  Deane,  who 
after  the  Marquis  of  Caermarthen,  was  his  most  in- 
timate English  acquaintance.  His  fondness  for  sail- 
ing and  managing  boats,  however,  was  as  eager  here 
as  in  Holland ;   and  these   gentlemen  were  almost 

*  Evelyn's  Sylva. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  93 

daily  with  him  on  the  Thames,  sometimes  in  a  sail- 
ing yacht,  and  at  others  rowing  in  boats, — an  exer- 
cise in  which  both  the  Czar  and  the  marquis  are 
said  to  have  excelled.  The  Kavy  Board  received 
directions  from  the  Admiralty  to  hire  two  vessels, 
to  be  at  the  command  of  the  Czar,  whenever  he 
should  think  proper  to  sail  on  the  Thames,  to  im- 
prove himself  in  seamanship.  In  addition  to  these, 
the  king  made  him  a  present  of  the  "  Eoyal  Tran- 
sport," with  orders  to  have  such  alterations  and 
accommodations  made  in  her  as  his  Czarish  majesty 
might  desire,  and  also  to  change  her  masts,  rigging, 
sails,  &c.  in  any  such  way  as  he  might  think  proper 
for  improving  her  sailing  qualities.  But  his  great 
delight  was  to  get  into  a  small  decked  boat,  belong- 
ing to  the  dockyard,  and  taking  only  Menzikoff 
and  three  or  four  others  of  his  suite,  to  work  the 
vessel  with  them,  he  being  the  helmsman ;  by  this 
practice  he  said  he  should  be  able  to  teach  them 
how  to  command  ships  when  they  got  home.  Hav- 
ing finished  their  day's  work,  they  used  to  resort  to 
a  public-house  in  Great  Tower-street,  close  to  Tower- 
hill,  to  smoke  their  pipes  and  drink  beer  and  brandy. 
The  landlord  had  the  Czar  of  Muscovy's  head  painted 
and  put  up  for  his  sign,  which  continued  till  the 
year  1808,  when  a  person  of  the  name  of  Waxel 
took  a  fancy  to  the  old  sign,  and  offered  the  then 
occupier  of  the  house  to  paint  hun  a  new  one  for  it. 
A  copy  was  accordingly  made  from  the  original, 
which  maintains  its  station  to  the  present  day,  as 


94  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

the  sign  of  the  ' '  Czar  of  Muscovy, ' '  looking  like  a 
true  Tartar. 

His  attention  was  forcibly  attracted  to  the  mag- 
nificent building  of  GreeuAvich  Hospital,  which, 
until  he  had  visited  it,  and  seen  the  old  pensioners, 
he  had  some  difiiculty  in  believing  to  be  anything 
but  a  royal  palace.  King  William,  having  one  day 
asked  him  how  he  liked  his  hospital  for  decayed 
seamen,  he  answered,  "  If  I  were  the  adviser  of 
your  majesty,  I  should  counsel  you  to  remove  your 
court  to  Greenwich,  and  convert  St.  James's  into 
an  hospital."* 

It  being  term  time  while  the  Czar  was  in  London, 
he  was  taken  into  Westminster  Hall ;  he  inquired 
who  all  those  busy  people  in  black  gowns  and  flow- 
ing wigs  were,  and  what  they  were  about?  Being 
answered,  "  They  are  lawyers,  sir," — ''  Lawyers!  " 
said  he,  with  marks  of  astonishment, — ''why,  I 
have  but  two  in  my  whole  dominions,  and  I  believe 
I  shall  hang  one  of  them  the  moment  I  get  home."t 

In  the  first  week  of  March,  Yice-admiral  Mitchell 
was  ordered  to  repair  forthwith  to  Spithead,  and, 
taking  several  ships  (eleven  in  number)  under  his 
command,  hoist  the  blue  flag  at  the  fore-topmast 
head  of  one  of  them.  It  is  not  stated  for  what  pur- 
pose these  vessels  were  put  under  his  command,  nor 
was  any  public  order  given.     But  the  ' '  Postman, ' '  :j: 

*  Staehlin.    Authority,  Mr.  Rondeau,   English  resident  at 
Moscow, 
t  Gentleman's  Mag.  vol.  vii.  X  Postman,  No.  441, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  95 

under  date  of  26th  March,  says,  "  On  Tuesday  the 
Czar  of  Muscovy  went  on  board  Admiral  Mitchell, 
in  his  majesty's  ship  the  Humber,  who  presently 
hoisted  sail  and  put  to  sea  from  Spithead,  as  did 
also  his  majesty's  ships  the  Kestauration,  Chichester, 
Defiance,  Swiftsure,  York,  Monmouth,  Dover, 
Kingston,  Coventry,  Seaforth,  and  Swan."  And 
the  Flyingpost,  or  Postmaster,^  has  the  following 
intelligence :  ' '  The  representation  of  a  sea  engage- 
ment was  excellently  performed  before  the  Czar  of 
Muscovy,  and  continued  a  considerable  time,  each 
ship  having  twelve  pounds  of  powder  allowed ;  but 
all  their  bullets  were  locked  up  in  the  hold,  for  fear 
the  sailors  should  mistake. "  It  is  stated  in  the  logs 
of  the  Humber  and  the  Kingston  that  they  had  two 
sham-fights ;  that  the  ships  were  divided  into  two 
squadrons,  and  every  ship  took  her  opposite  and 
fired  three  broadsides  aloft  and  one  alow^  without 
shot.  The  Czar  was  extremely  pleased  with  the 
performance.  It  is  said,  indeed,  he  was  so  much 
delighted  with  everything  he  saw  in  the  British 
navy,  that  he  told  Admiral  Mitchell  he  considered 
the  condition  of  an  English  admiral  happier  than 
that  of  a  Czar  of  Russia,  f 

On  returning  from  Portsmouth,  Peter  and  his 
party  stopped  at  Godalming  for  the  night ;  Avhere, 
it  would  appear  from  the  bill  of  fare,  they  feasted 
lustily.  Among  the  papers  of  Ballard's  Collection, 
in  the  Bodleian  Library,  is  one  from  Mr.  Humphrey 

*  Postmaster,  No  449.  f  Nestesuranoi.    Mottley. 


90  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Wanley^  to  Dr.  Charlett,t  which  contains  the  fol- 
lowing passage : — "I  cannot  vouch  for  the  follow- 
ing bill  of  fare,  which  the  Czar  and  his  company, 
thirteen  at  table,  and  twenty-one  in  all,  ate  up  at 
Godalming  (or  Godiiming),  in  Surrey,  in  their  way 
home, — but  it  is  averred  for  truth  by  an  eyewitness, 
who  saw  them  eating,  and  had  this  bill  from  the 
landlord.  At  breakfast — half  a  sheep,  a  quarter  of 
lamb,  ten  pullets,  twelve  chickens,  three  quarts  of 
brandy,  six  quarts  of  mulled  Tvine,  seven  dozen  of 
eggs,  with  salad  in  proportion.:!:  At  dinner — five 
ribs  of  beef,  weight  three  stone ;  one  sheep,  fifty- 
six  pounds ;  three  quarters  of  lamb,  a  shoulder  and 
loin  of  veal  boiled,  eight  pullets,  eight  rabbits,  two 
dozen  and  a  half  of  sack,  one  dozen  of  claret.  § 

It  would  appear,  indeed,  from  all  accounts,  that 
the  Czar  was  a  prodigiously  hard  drinker  in  his 
younger  days.  In  a  letter  from  Mr.  A.  Bertie  to 
Dr.  Charlett,  and  in  the  same  collection,  he  says, 
''The  Czar  lay  the  other  night  at  Mr.  James  Her- 


*  Author  of  "  Wonders  of  the  little  World." 

f  Master  of  University  College. 

X  The  butcher's  stone  is  eight  pounds. 

§  There  are  among  our  countrymen  those  who  are  scarcely 
outdone  by  the  Czar  of  Russia  and  his  companions.  At  the 
same  place,  and  probably  at  the  same  house,  long  known  as 
Moon's,  two  noble  dukes,  the  one  dead,  the  other  yet  living, 
stopped,  as  they  intended,  for  a  moment,  while  sitting  in  their 
carriages,  to  eat  a  mutton  chop,  which  they  found  so  good 
that  they  each  of  them  devoured  eighteen,  and  drank  five 
bottles  of  claret. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  97 

bert's,  being  come  from  Deptford  to  see  the 
Eedoubt,*  which  the  justices  have  suppressed,  by 
placing  six  constables  at  the  door.  Upon  that  dis- 
appointment, he  fell  to  drinking  hard  at  one  Mr. 
Morley's;  and  the  Marquis  of  Caermarthen,  it  being 
late,  resolved  to  lodge  him  at  his  brother-in-law's, 
where  he  dined  the  next  day — drank  a  pint  of 
brandy  and  a  bottle  of  sherry  for  his  morning 
draught ;  and,  after  that,  about  eight  more  bottles 
of  sack,  and  so  went  to  the  playhouse,  "f 

The  Marquis  of  Caermarthen  acted  as  his  guide  to 
all  public  places  of  amusement;  for  which,  how- 
ever, it  does  not  appear  Peter  had  any  great  relish, 
probably  from  not  being  sufficiently  acquainted  with 
our  language  to  comprehend  what  was  going  on ; 
twice  or  thrice  only  he  went  to  the  theatre, — but 
the  only  object  there  that  particularly  struck  his 
fancy  was  an  actress  of  the  name  of  Cross,  who  was 
afterward, — so  the  gossip  of  the  day  had  it, — intro- 
duced to  him ;  and  this  is  the  only  amour,  if  it  was 
one,  that  is  recorded  of  the  Czar  while  in  England. 
With  the  Tower  of  London  he  appeared  to  be  highly 
pleased,  more  particularly  with  the  beautiful  arrange- 
ment of  the  armory. 

The  king  having  given  a  grand  ball  at  St.  James's, 
in  honor  of  the  princess's  birthday,  Peter  was  in- 
vited ;  but.  instead  of  mixing  with  the  company,  he 

*  It  is  presumed  some  notorious  place  of  ill-fame, 
t  Ballard's  Collection.    Bodleian, 

7 


98  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

was  put  into  a  small  room,  from  whence  he  could 
see  all  that  passed  without  being  himself  seen.  This 
extraordinary  aversion  for  a  crowd  kept  him  away 
from  all  great  assemblies.  Once,  indeed,  he  at- 
tempted to  subdue  it,  from  a  desire  to  hear  the 
debates  in  the  House  of  Commons,  but  even  then 
the  Marquis  of  Caermarthen  could  not  prevail  on 
him  to  go  into  the  body  of  the  House.  He  there- 
fore placed  him  in  some  situation  where  he  could 
hear  and  see  what  was  going  on  without  being  him- 
self noticed ;  perhaps  he  was  on  the  brink  of  that 
hole  in  the  ceiling  which  is  now,  on  great  occasions, 
frequented  by  certain  ladies  who  dabble  in  politics, 
and  by  others  from  mere  curiosity  to  listen  to  de- 
bates, from  which,  by  custom  and  common  consent, 
females  have  been  excluded ;  paying  the  penalty  of 
their  defiance,  by  inhaling  a  neither  pleasant  nor 
wholesome  atmosphere. 

Having  dined  with  the  king  at  Kensington,  he 
was  prevailed  on  to  see  the  ceremony  of  his  majesty 
passing  four  bills;  but  it  appears  from  a  note  of 
Lord  Dartmouth,  that  here,  as  in  the  Commons,  he 
avoided  going  into  the  House.  His  lordship  says, 
< '  He  had  a  great  dislike  to  being  looked  at,  but 
had  a  mind  to  see  the  king  in  parliament ;  in  order 
to  which  he  was  placed  in  a  gutter  upon  the  house- 
top, to  peep  in  at  the  window,  where  he  made  so 
ridiculous  a  figure,  that  neither  king  nor  people 
could  forbear  laughing,  which  obliged  him  to  retire 
sooner  than  he  intended. ' ' 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  99 

From  the  same  authority  we  learn  that  Peter  was, 
at  another  time,  placed  in  an  awkward  situation. 
"  The  king  made  the  Czar  a  visit,  in  which  an  odd 
incident  happened.  The  Czar  had  a  favorite  mon- 
key, which  sat  upon  the  back  of  his  chair ;  as  soon 
as  the  king  was  sat  down,  the  monkey  jumped  upon 
him,  in  some  wrath,  which  discomposed  the  whole 
ceremonial,  and  most  of  the  time  was  afterward 
spent  in  apologies  for  the  monkey's  misbe- 
havior."* 

The  Czar  is  said  to  have  paid  a  visit  to  the  Uni- 
versity of  Oxford ;  but  not  a  trace  appears  on  any 
of  the  records  of  that  university  of  his  having  ever 
done  so.  His  body  physician,  Posnikof,  who  staid 
in  England  some  months  behind  his  master,  is,  how- 
ever, known  to  have  been  there.  Mr.  Wanley 
writes  thus,  from  London,  to  Dr.  Charlett: — ^^I 
will  wait  on  the  doctor  (Posnikoff),  and  if  you  had 
been  pleased  to  have  given  me  orders,  I  would  have 
been  at  Oxford  before  now,  for  his  sake,  and  re- 
turned hither  with  him  again.  His  master  (the 
Czar)  gave  the  king's  servants,  at  his  departure,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  guineas,  which  was  more  than 
they  deserved,  they  being  very  rude  to  him ;  but  to 
the  king  he  presented  a  rough  ruby,  which  the 
greatest  jewellers  of  Amsterdam  (as  well  Jews  as 
Christians)  valued  at  ten  thousand  pounds  sterling. 


*  Lord  Dartmouth.— Note  on  Burnet's  History  of  his  own 
Times. 


100  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

'Tis  bored  through,  and  when  it  is  cut  and  polished, 
it  must  be  set  upon  the  top  of  the  imperial  crown  of 
England."* 

He  was  introduced  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, at  his  palace  of  Lambeth,  and  having  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  see  the  different  churches  of  the 
capital,  and  to  observe  the  mode  in  which  the  serv- 
ice was  conducted,  the  Archbishop  recommended 
Bishop  Burnet  to  gratify  his  curiosity  in  this  respect ; 
and  to  give  him  all  the  information  (of  which  none 
was  more  capable)  that  he  might  require  on  ecclesi- 
astical matters.  From  this  dignitary  of  the  church 
we  have  some  information  respecting  the  manner 
and  appearance  of  this  extraordinary  character. 
He  says,  he  waited  on  him  frequently,  having  been 
ordered,  both  by  the  king  and  the  archbishop,  to 
attend  upon  him,  and  to  offer  him  such  information 
as  to  our  religion  and  constitution  as  he  might  be 
willing  to  receive.  ' '  I  had  good  interpreters, ' ' 
continues  the  bishop,  "  so  I  had  much  free  discourse 
with  him.  He  is  a  man  of  very  hot  temper,  soon 
influenced,  and  very  brutal  in  his  passion ;  he  raises 
his  natural  heat  by  drinking  much  brandy,  which 
he  rectifies  himself,  with  great  application :  he  is 
subject  to  convulsive  motions  all  over  his  body,  and 
his  head  seems  to  be  affected  with  these.     He  wants 

*  Ballard's  Collection.  Bodleian.  With  plain  downright 
Bimplicity,  and  free  from  all  ostentation,  Peter  carried  this 
valuable  ruby  to  the  king  in  his  waistcoat  pocket,  and  pre- 
sented it  wrapped  up  in  a  piece  of  brown  paper. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  IQI 

not  capacity,  and  has  a  larger  measure  of  knowledge 
than  might  be  expected  from  his  education,  which 
was  very  indifferent ;  a  want  of  judgment,  with  an 
instability  of  temper,  appears  in  him  too  often  and 
too  evidently.  He  is  mechanically  turned,  and 
seems  designed  by  nature  rather  to  be  a  ship-car- 
penter than  a  great  prince.  This  was  his  chief 
study  and  exercise  while  he  staid  here.  He  wrought 
much  with  his  own  hands,  and  made  all  about  him 
work,  at  the  models  of  ships.  He  told  me  he  de- 
signed a  great  fleet  at  Azov,  and  with  it  to  attack 
the  Turkish  empire ;  but  he  did  not  seem  capable  of 
conducting  so  great  a  design,  though  his  conduct  in 
his  wars,  since  this,  has  discovered  a  greater  genius 
in  him  than  appeared  at  that  time.  He  was  desirous 
to  understand  our  doctrine,  but  he  did  not  seem  dis- 
posed to  mend  matters  in  Muscovy.  He  was,  indeed, 
resolved  to  encourage  learning,  and  to  polish  his 
people,  by  sending  some  of  them  to  travel  in  other 
countries,  and  to  draw  strangers  to  come  and  live 
among  them.  He  seemed  apprehensive  still  of  his 
sister's  intrigues.  There  is  a  mixture  both  of  pas- 
sion and  severity  in  his  temper.  He  is  resolute,  but 
understands  little  of  war,  and  seemed  not  at  all  in- 
quisitive in  that  way.*  After  I  had  seen  him  often, 
and  had  conversed  much  with  him,  I  could  not  but 
adore  the  depth  of  the  providence  of  God,  that  had 

*  [There  is  something  incongruous  in  the  idea  of  this  church- 
man criticising  Peter'  s  military  capacity  ;  especially  when 
the  monarch's  subsequent  career  is  considered.] 


102  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

raised  up  such,  a  furious  man  to  so  absolute  an  au- 
thority over  so  great  a  part  of  the  world."* 

He  goes  on  to  say,  ' '  David,  considering  the  great 
things  God  had  made  for  the  use  of  man,  broke  out 
into  the  meditation,  '  What  is  man,  that  thou  art  so 
mindful  of  him?  '  But  here  there  is  occasion  for 
reversing  these  words,  since  man  seems  a  very  con- 
temptible thing  in  the  sight  of  God,  while  such  a 
person  as  the  Czar  has  such  multitudes  put,  as  it 
were,  under  his  feet,  exposed  to  his  restless  jealousy 
and  savage  temper.  He  went  from  hence  to  the 
court  of  Yienna,  where  he  proposed  to  have  staid 
some  time,  but  he  was  called  home  sooner  than  he 
intended,  upon  a  discovery,  or  a  suspicion,  of  in- 
trigues, managed  by  his  sister;  the  strangers  to 
whom  he  trusted  most  had  been  so  true  to  him  that 
those  dangers  were  crushed  before  he  came  back ; 
but  on  this  occasion  he  let  loose  his  fury  on  all 
whom  he  suspected ;  some  hundreds  of  them  were 
hanged  all  round  Moscow,  and  it  was  said  that  he 
cut  off  many  heads  with  his  own  hands ;  and  so  far 
was  he  from  relenting,  or  showing  any  sort  of  ten- 
derness, that  he  seemed  delighted  with  it.  How 
long  he  is  to  be  the  scourge  of  that  nation  or  his 
neighbors,  God  only  knows!  "f 

It  is  always  hazardous  to  prophesy,  and  the  bishop 
was  particularly  unfortunate  in  this  estimation  of 

*  Burnet's  History  of  his  own  Times. 
\  Ibid, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  103 

some  part  of  the  Czar's  character.  Had  he  been 
able  to  converse  with  him  without  the  medium  of 
an  interpreter,  he  might  perhaps  have  come  to  a 
different  conclusion  in  some  respects;  though,  at 
the  same  time,  it  must  be  owned,  Peter  had  not 
then  evinced  much  capacity,  or  even  ambition,  to 
take  his  place  among  the  great  statesmen  and  legis- 
lators of  the  world.  Burnet  thought  that  in  mat- 
ters of  religious  doctrine  ' '  he  did  not  seem  disposed 
to  mend  them  in  Muscovy. ' '  An  incident,  however, 
occurred,  which  proved  that  he  had  already  intended 
on  his  return  to  his  own  country,  wholly  to  reform 
and  amend  the  state  of  the  clergy  and  the  church  of 
Eussia.     It  was  this : — 

Some  of  the  principal  merchants  of  London, 
through  the  intervention  of  the  Marquis  of  Caermar- 
then,  had  prevailed  on  Menzikoff  and  Golownin  to 
propose  a  treaty  with  the  Czar  to  allow  a  free  im- 
portation of  tobacco  into  Russia,  Avhich  was  pro- 
hibited or  admitted  only  on  payment  of  such  high 
duties  as  amounted  to  a  prohibition.  The  Czar  as- 
sented, but  on  condition  only  of  their  paying  down 
to  him  twelve  or,  as  some  say,  fifteen  thousand 
pounds,  for  this  exclusive  privilege;  stipulating  at 
the  same  time  that  none  should  be  imported  into  his 
dominions  without  the  special  license  of  the  Mar- 
quis of  Caermarthen,  who,  it  is  said,  was  to  receive 
five  shillings  for  every  hogshead  so  licensed.  Now 
the  use  of  tobacco  was  abhorred  by  the  priesthood, 
as  an  unclean  thing  and  an  abomination  before  the 


104  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Lord ;  and  this  was  stated  by  the  chairman  of  the 
merchants,  Sir  Gilbert  Heathcote,  as  a  prejudice 
that  might  render  the  contract,  as  far  as  regarded 
them,  of  no  effect;  on  which  the  Czar  observed, 
'*He  knew  very  well  how  to  deal  with  the  priests 
when  he  got  home ;  "  or,  as  Sir  Gilbert  himself  told 
it,  ' '  When  I  return  to  my  own  country,  you  will 
find  I  shall  make  my  priests  preach  and  do  what  I 
please ;  "* — and  it  will  be  seen  that  he  did  so. 

The  bishop  says  he  wrought  much  with  his  own 
hands,  and  made  all  about  him  work,  at  the  models 
of  ships.  Whom  he  had  with  him,  besides  Menzi- 
koff  and  Golownin,  does  not  anywhere  appear,  but 
the  Postmanf  of  the  29th  March  says,  ''The  Czar 
of  Muscovy  is  returned  from  Portsmouth  to  Dept- 
ford,  where  his  second  ambassador  is  arrived  from 
Holland."  The  two  principal  Eussian  workmen  in 
Holland,  of  rank,  were  Menzikoff  and  the  Prince 
Siberski,  the  latter  of  whom  is  said  to  have  been 
able  to  rig  a  ship  from  top  to  bottom.  The  chief 
object  in  remaining  at  Deptford  appeared  to  be,  as 
before  stated,  to  gain  instruction  how  to  lay  off  the 
lines  of  ships  and  cut  out  the  molds ;  though  it  is 
said,  on  the  testimony  of  an  old  man,  a  workman 
at  Deptford  yard  some  forty  years  ago,  that  he  had 
beard  his  father:):  say,  the  Czar  of  Muscovy  worked 

*  Mottley.  t  No.  442. 

X  Mr.  James  Sibbon,  who  was  a  journeymen  shipwright  in 
Deptford  yard  when  the  Czar  was  there  ;  he  died  in  1769,  aged 

105  jea.Ts,—Anmuil  Register  for  1769, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  105 

with  his  own  hands  as  hard  as  any  man  in  the  yard. 
If  so,  it  could  only  have  been  for  a  very  short  time, 
and  probably  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  show  the 
builders  that  he  knew  how  to  handle  the  adze  as 
well  as  themselves,  or  else  for  the  sake  of  exercise. 

When  residing  at  Deptford  he  requested  to  see 
the  celebrated  Dr.  Halley,  to  whom  he  communi- 
cated his  plans  of  building  a  fleet,  and  in  general  of 
introducing  the  arts  and  sciences  into  his  country, 
and  asked  his  opinion  and  advice  on  various  subjects ; 
the  doctor  spoke  German  fluently,  and  the  Czar  was 
so  much  pleased  with  the  philosopher's  conversation 
and  remarks,  that  he  had  him  frequently  to  dine 
with  him ;  and  in  his  company  he  visited  the  royal 
observatory  in  Greenwich  Park. 

As  in  Amsterdam,  so  also  in  London,  he  visited 
the  manufactories  and  workshops  of  various  artifi- 
cers, and  purchased  whatever  he  deemed  either 
curious  or  useful ;  and  among  other  things  ' '  he 
bought  the  famous  geographical  clock  made  by  Mr. 
John  Carte,  watchmaker,  at  the  sign  of  the  dial  and 
croAvn,  near  Essex-street,  in  the  Strand,  which  clock 
tells  what  o'clock  it  is  in  any  part  of  the  world, 
whether  it  is  day  or  night,  the  sun  rising  and  setting 
throughout  the  year,  its  entrance  into  the  signs  of 
the  zodiac;  the  arch  which  they  and  the  sun  in 
them  makes  above  or  below  the  horizon,  with 
several  other  curious  motions."*  He  was  very 
curious  in  examining  the  mechanism  of  a  watch,  and 

*  Postman,  No.  136. 


i06  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

it  is  said  he  could  take  one  of  these  ingenious 
machines  to  pieces,  and  put  it  together  again,  before 
he  left  London. 

The  king  had  promised  Peter  that  there  should 
be  no  impediment  in  his  way  of  engaging,  and  tak- 
ing with  him  to  Russia,  such  English  artificers  and 
scientific  men  as  he  might  desire,  with  such  instru- 
ments as  their  trade  or  profession  required.  For 
this  purpose  he  entered  into  an  engagement  with 
Mr.  Ferguson,  a  native  of  Scotland  and  an  excel- 
lent mathematician;  and,  at  his  recommendation, 
two  young  students  from  the  school  of  Christchurch 
Hospital  accompanied  him.  To  these  persons  the 
Muscovite  exchequer  was  indebted  for  the  change 
from  balls  strung  on  a  wire,  the  suanpan  of  the 
Chinese,  to  the  simple  Arabic  numerals:  so  tardy 
was  the  introduction  into  Russia  of  one  of  the  most 
useful  and  important  inventions  that  ever  benefited 
mankind. 

The  Czar  engaged  also  Perry,  the  engineer,  for 
the  purpose  of  superintending  the  construction  of 
harbors,  sluices,  and  bridges,  which  he  had  in  con- 
templation ;  and  more  particularly  to  carry  into  ex- 
ecution the  grand  scheme  of  opening  a  communi- 
cation, by  means  of  canals,  between  the  Baltic,  the 
Caspian,  and  the  Black  Sea.  He  engaged  also  vari- 
ous workmen  who  had  been  accustomed  to  labor  in 
the  several  branches  of  civil,  military,  and  naval 
architecture.  The  fair  promises,  however,  and 
even  actual   agreements,  to  which  many  of  these 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  107 

persons  had  trusted,  were  broken  not  long  after 
their  arrival  in  Russia.  The  Czar,  or  his  officers, 
refused  to  let  those  who  were  dissatisfied  return  to 
their  own  country — ^they  could  neither  obtain  their 
arrears  of  pay  nor  passports.  Perry  complains  that 
every  obstruction  was  thrown  in  his  way ;  that  he 
could  neither  procure  materials  nor  workmen,  and 
that,  at  the  end  of  six  years,  they  deducted  the 
monthly  subsistence,  which  was  agreed  to  be  given 
him,  from  his  salary,  and  paid  him  the  remainder 
in  depreciated  coin.  Ferguson's  case  was  still 
harder;  one  part  of  his  agreement  was,  that  for 
every  scholar  whom  he  taught  navigation,  and 
who  was  sent  into  the  navy,  he  should  receive  one 
hundred  rubles,*  and  when  Captain  Perry  left  Russia 
he  had  so  sent  out  seventy  scholars,  but  had  not  been 
able  to  get  one  penny  of  the  money.  One  of  the 
young  men  from  Christ's  Hospital  was  murdered  in 
the  street,  and  the  other  never  could  get  one-half 
of  the  allowance  that  was  promised.  In  short,  the 
natives  did  all  in  their  power  to  annoy  and  disgust 
foreigners.  Peter,  however,  was  less  to  blame  for 
this  neglect  and  injustice  than  his  official  servants. 
In  the  army,  which  was  under  his  immediate  eye, 
foreigners  met  with  every  encouragement,  at  least 
from  the  Czar,  and  many  of  them  were  domiciled 
in  Russia.  A  Scotchman  named  Best,  a  lieutenant 
in  the  army,  was  among  those  who  went  with  Peter 
from  this  country.     The  word  hest^  it  seems,  signi- 

*  Seventy-seven  dollars. 

p — " 


108  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

fies,  in  the  Russian  language,  heast^  which  so 
annoyed  the  northern  lad  that  he  complained  of  it 
to  the  Czar,  who  told  him  he  would  soon  put  him 
at  ease  on  that  score — "You  shall  be  called  Bestu- 
chef  and  then  you  will  be  as  good  a  Russian  as  my- 
self. ' '  The  son  of  this  lieutenant  was  the  celebrated 
Alexey  Bestuchef ,  grand  chancellor  to  the  Empress 
Elizabeth.* 

The  number  of  all  descriptions  of  persons  that 
finally  left  England  when  the  Czar  returned  to  Hol- 
land, is  stated  to  have  been  nearly  as  follows  : — Three 
captains  of  ships  of  war,  twenty-five  captains  of 
merchant-ships,  thirty  pilots,  thirty  surgeons,  two 
hundred  gunners,  four  mast-makers,  four  boat- 
builders,  two  master  sail-makers  and  twenty  work- 
men, two  compass-makers,  two  carvers,  two  anchor- 
smiths,  two  locksmiths,  two  coppersmiths,  and  two 
tinmen ;  making,  with  some  others,  not  much  less  than 
five  hundred  persons.  However  uncouth  the  man- 
ners of  Peter  may  have  been,  he  was  a  great  favor- 
ite with  King  William,  and  the  Czar  had  also  a 
high  opinion  of  his  majesty,  whom  he  visited  fre- 
quently, and  consulted  on  all  important  occasions. 
The  king  engaged  him  to  sit  for  his  portrait  to  Sir 
Godfrey  Kneller,  who  painted  a  very  good  picture, 
said  to  be  a  strong  likeness. 

To  convey  the  Czar  and  persons  above  mentioned 
to  Holland,  the  Admiralty,  on  the  18th  April, 
directed   Yice-admiral  Mitchell  to  take   under  his 

*  Tooke's  Life  of  Catherine  II. 


IJFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  109 

orders  his  majesty's  ships  Greenwich  and  Yorke, 
together  with  the  Fubbs,  Henrietta,  Catharine,  and 
Mary,  yachts,  and  to  convey  him,  his  ambassadors, 
and  suite  to  Holland ;  and  to  consult  the  conveni- 
ence of  his  majesty  as  to  the  arrangement  of  his 
company,  and  the  port  to  which  he  might  be  desi- 
rous of  proceeding.  He  remained  but  a  short  time 
in  Holland,  from  whence  he  proceeded  to  Vienna, 
where  he  and  his  ambassadors  were  received  with 
great  pomp  and  splendor  by  the  Emperor  Leopold, 
and  were  entertained  during  their  stay  with  dinners, 
balls,  and  concerts,  in  a  style  of  magnificent  hospi- 
tality. But  entertainments  of  this  kind  were  not 
exactly  suited  to  the  taste  of  the  Czar.  His  grand 
object  in  visiting  Vienna  was  to  make  himself  ac- 
quainted with  the  dress  and  accoutrements,  the 
discipline,  and  tactics  of  the  emperor's  army,  con- 
sidered at  that  time  to  be  composed  of  the  best 
troops  in  Europe. 

During  his  residence  at  the  emperor's  court, 
Peter  received  accounts  from  the  young  nobles 
whom  he  had  despatched  to  Italy  under  General 
Scherematof,  stating  the  preparations  which  the 
senate  of  Venice  was  making  for  the  reception  of 
so  great  a  monarch ;  and  the  desire  which  his  holi- 
ness the  pope  had  expressed  to  receive  him  in  a 
manner  suited  to  his  high  station,  indulging  a  hope 
that  his  visit  might  have  the  effect,  so  long  wished 
for,  of  reuniting  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches. 
One  of  the  young  persons  sent  to  Venice  was  of  the 


110  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

family  of  Golownin,  a  favorite  of  the  Czar;  his 
instructions  were  to  make  himself  acquainted  with 
the  construction  of  their  galleys,  and  with  the  Ital- 
ian language.  This  is  the  person  probably  who  is 
said  never  to  have  quitted  his  room,  that  he  might 
not  have  to  reproach  himself  with  seeing  any  other 
country  than  his  own,  which  was  considered  by  the 
Muscovite  priests  as  a  horrible  crime.  When,  at 
the  expiration  of  four  years,  he  returned,  and  Peter 
took  him  to  Yoronitz,  that  he  might  there  judge  of 
the  progress  he  had  made,  he  soon  discovered  that 
he  knew  nothing  of  naval  architecture.  The  Czar 
good-naturedly  observed,  he  supposed  he  had  passed 
his  time  in  studying  the  language  and  literature : 
he  said  no,  he  knew  nothing  of  either.  ' '  Then 
what  the  devil  have  you  been  doing  at  Venice  ?  ' ' 
asked  the  Czar.  ^'Sire,"  he  replied,  ''I  smoked 
my  pipe,  I  drank  brandy,  and  very  rarely  stirred 
out  of  my  room."  Peter,  half -angry  and  half- 
laughing,  told  him  to  get  out  of  his  sight,  for  that 
he  was  only  fit  to  be  made  one  of  his  fools. 

At  the  moment,  however,  that  Peter  was  prepar- 
ing to  set  out  on  his  journey  to  Italy,  he  received 
intelligence  from  Moscow  that  demanded  his  imme- 
diate presence  in  that  capital.  This  was  nothing 
less  than  an  account  of  a  rebellion  which  had  broken 
out  among  the  Strelitzes,  fomented,  as  most  of  the 
accounts  stated,  by  the  priests  and  the  party  of 
Sophia,  who  had  infused  into  the  minds  of  the  peo- 
ple that  the  object  of  the  Czar's  travels  was  to  sub- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  HI 

vert  their  holy  religion ;  to  bring  a  host  of  foreign- 
ers among  them ;  and  to  change  the  ancient  man- 
ners and  customs  of  his  subjects ;  and  that  the  first 
thing  would  be  to  cashier  the  whole  corps  of  the 
Strelitzes.  Thus  abetted,  these  people,  to  the  num- 
ber of  about  8000,  marched  from  the  borders  of 
Lithuania  toward  Moscow,  but  were  opposed  by 
General  Patrick  Gordon.  He  first  began  to  parley 
with  them,  and  told  them  if  they  had  any  grievances 
he  would  see  them  redressed ;  but  they  would  listen 
to  no  terms,  and  persisted  in  forcing  their  way  to 
Moscow.  A  battle  ensued,  in  which  a  great  num- 
ber of  these  infatuated  men  were  slain,  and  the  rest 
surrendered  themselves  prisoners,  and  were  marched 
to  the  capital.  Several  examinations  were  made  in 
order  to  detect  the  real  abetters,  and  the  object  of 
the  rebellion ;  and  nmnbers  were  thrown  into  prison 
to  await  the  decision  of  the  Czar,  who  would  un- 
doubtedly return  with  all  speed,  on  being  made  ac- 
quainted with  the  disagreeable  intelligence. 


CHAPTEE  y. 

The  Czar  inflicts  dreadful  Punishment  on  the  Conspirators 
— Commences  his  System  of  Reform — Death  of  Le  Fort — 
Prepares  a  large  Fleet  at  Voronitz,  on  the  Don — Com- 
mences a  War  with  Sweden. 

We  have  yet  seen  nothing  of  the  character  and 
actions  of  the  Czar  Peter  which  could  convey  any 
impression  but  that  of  his  being  a  lively,  bustling, 
well-conditioned  man;  kind-hearted  and  grateful 
for  any  little  attention  bestowed  on  him ;  and  that 
his  errors  or  deficiencies  were  those  of  education 
only.  He  must  now,  however,  be  exliibited  in  a 
different  point  of  view.  He  had  now  seen  a  little 
of  the  world  beyond  the  confines  of  Russia :  he  had 
now  witnessed  the  comforts  of  that  civilized  and 
social  life  which  he  found  the  people  generally  to 
enjoy  under  a  free  government,  where  commerce 
flourished,  and  the  arts  and  sciences  were  cultivated 
and  encouraged ;  and  it  can  hardly  be  supposed  that, 
amid  all  his  extravagant  freaks  and  frolicsome  man- 
ners, not  always  quite  becoming  the  high  destiny  to 
which  he  had  been  called,  he  had  been  regardless 
of  the  importance  of  the  situation  he  was  about  to 
fulfil,  and  of  the  duties  that  would  be  required  of 
him.     On  the  contrary,  he  gave  many  proofs  that, 

112 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  113 

without  ostentation,  he  was  employed  in  treasuring 
up  lessons  of  experience,  collected  in  both  Holland 
and  England.  He  had,  besides,  now  attained  a 
period  of  life  when  thoughtless  levity  may  be  ex- 
pected to  give  way  to  sober  reflection.  He  had  a 
son,  too,  whose  advancing  years  claimed  a  father's 
attention,  in  preparing  for  him  an  education  more 
suitable  than  his  own  had  been,  for  the  heir-ap- 
parent to  a  throne,  which,  as  far  as  human  fore- 
sight could  determine,  he  was  destined  to  fill. 

''During  seventeen  months,"  sa^^s  a  modern 
writer,  ''  Germany,  Holland,  England,  Austria, 
had  their  eyes  on  a  young  barbarian  of  five  and- 
twenty,  whom  a  perfidious  sister  had  delivered  up, 
from  the  most  tender  age,  to  the  most  violent  pas- 
sions ;  who,  delighting  in  wine,  in  women,  in  com- 
mand— had  left  his  absolute  throne,  a  war  success- 
fully commenced,  and  all  the  seductions  which  be- 
siege power — to  visit,  with  the  compass,  the  hatchet, 
the  scalpel,  in  his  hand,  their  manufactories,  their 
workshops,  their  hospitals,  and  to  study  practically 
those  sciences  which  alone,  in  the  midst  of  his  sub- 
jects, he  had  judged  indispensable  to  their  prosperity, 
to  their  glory,  to  their  independence.  This  example, ' ' 
he  adds,  ' '  unique  in  history,  is,  without  doubt, 
the  example  of  a  despot — a  despot  by  birth,  a  des- 
pot by  condition,  by  necessity,  by  the  ascendency  of 
genius,  by  temperament,  and  because  slaves  must, 
of  necessity,  have  a  master — but,  what  is  most  irre- 
concilable, a  despot  more  patriotic,  more  constantly 
8 


114  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

and  entirely  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  his  country, 
than  any  republican  citizen,  whether  ancient  or 
modern."* 

Never,  perhaps,  in  the  history  of  the  world,  was 
a  young  monarch  possessed  of  supreme  and  undi- 
vided authority,  ' '  a  despot  by  condition  and  neces- 
sity, ' '  placed  in  a  more  trying  situation  than  that  of 
Peter  on  his  arrival  at  Moscow.  A  third  rebellion, 
fomented  by  the  same  instruments  as  the  former, 
had  broken  forth  in  his  absence,  whose  object  was 
to  subvert  the  government  and  deprive  him  of  the 
throne.  It  is  true,  it  had  been  quelled  by  the  exer- 
tions and  able  measures  taken  by  General  Patrick 
Gordon ;  but  the  chiefs  of  the  conspirators  and  the 
numerous  prisoners  had  not  been  disposed  of.  It 
was,  besides,  the  general  belief  that  the  members  of 
his  own  family  would  be  found  among  the  agents 
and  instigators  of  the  undisciplined  and  lawless  rab- 
ble ;  and  that  the  trial  and  the  punishment  of  the 
principal  offenders  should  be  left,  till  the  arrival  of 
him  who  was  most  deeply  interested  in  the  issue. 
It  was  admitted  by  all  who  were  not  blinded  by 
prejudice,  that  nothing  Avas  left  to  the  Czar  but  to 
destroy  his  enemies,  or  to  become  their  victim ;  and 
such  was,  undoubtedly,  the  opinion  they  impressed 
on  his  mind. 

Peter,  therefore,  at  once  determined,  by  an  ex- 
treme severity  of  punishment,  to  prevent  any  future 

*  Histoire  de  Russie,  &c.,  par  M.  Le  General  Comte  de 
Segur. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  II5 

attempt  in  the  quarter  from  which  he  had  every 
reason  to  believe  the  disturbances  had  proceeded. 
Accordingly,  on  the  day  after  his  arrival,  he  com- 
menced his  proceedings  by  ordering  rich  rewards  to 
be  bestowed  on  the  soldiers  who  had  distinguished 
themselves  against  the  rebels :  all  the  agents,  known 
or  suspected  to  have  been  concerned  in  the  revolt, 
were  examined  before  the  assembled  senators,  boy- 
ars,  and  military  officers,  in  his  presence,  and  many 
of  them  sentenced  to  death.  Some  were  first  bro- 
ken on  the  wheel,  and  then  beheaded.  Many  were 
hung  on  gibbets,  erected  near  the  gates  of  the  city. 
Numerous  dead  bodies  of  the  first  class  of  citizens 
were  laid  by  the  sides  of  the  highway,  with  their 
heads  near  them,  where  they  were  suffered  to  re- 
main in  a  frozen  state  the  whole  winter,  as  a  terror 
and  example  to  all  passengers.  Stone  pillars  were 
erected  along  the  roads,  on  which  were  recorded  the 
crime  and  punishment  of  the  rebels.  It  is  stated,  in 
some  accounts,  that  two  thousand  of  the  Strelitzes 
were  put  to  death,  but  Gordon  ^  mentions  nothing 
of  this ;  indeed,  such  wholesale  murder  is  highly 
improbable.  About  four  thousand  had  been  put  in 
prison ;  they  perhaps  were  decimated,  and  the  rest 


*  This  is  the  author,  Alexander,  not  Patrick  ;  as  the  latter 
was  the  general  who  vanquished  the  rebels,  it  is  much  to  be 
wished  that  his  manuscript  journal  had  not  been  sent  back 
to  Russia  :  there  is  every  likelihood  that  its  publication  would 
at  least  lighten  the  stain  which  foreign  writers  have  endeav- 
ored to  jBx  on  the  character  of  Peter  in  this  transaction. 


116        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

dispersed  through  the  distant  provinces  of  the  em- 
pire.* 

The  details  of  these  executions,  if  true  to  their 

*  "  The  execution  of  the  first  batch  of  Streletzes  examined 
(341  men)  took  place  on  October  10th.  Only  201  were  actually 
put  to  death — five  were  beheaded  at  Preobrazensky,  196  were 
hanged  along  the  walls  of  Moscow  and  at  the  gates — a  hun- 
dred who  were  under  twenty  years  of  age  were  branded  in  the 
right  cheek  and  sent  into  exile,  and  the  remaining  fortj-- 
were  detained  for  further  examination.  These  executions 
took  place,  at  least  in  part,  in  the  presence  of  the  Czar  him- 
self and  of  most  of  the  foreign  ministers  and  ambassadors, 
who  were  specially  invited  to  be  present.  Of  the  second 
batch,  770  men  were  executed — some  hanged,  some  beheaded, 
and  others  broken  on  the  wheel.  Of  tliis  number,  195  were 
hanged  on  a  large  square  gallows  in  front  of  the  cell  of 
Sophia  at  the  Novodevitchy  convent,  and  three  remained 
hanging  all  the  winter  under  her  very  window,  one  of  them 
holding  in  his  hand  a  folded  paper  to  represent  a  petition. 
Long  files  of  carts  carried  the  Streletzes  to  the  place  of  execu- 
tion. Each  cart  contained  two  men,  seated  back  to  back, 
with  lighted  candles  in  their  hands.  Their  wives  and  chil- 
dren ran  weeping  and  shrieking  alongside  ;  the  populace 
stood  silent,  cursing  the  Czar  under  their  breath  ;  except  the 
nobles  and  the  foreigners,  every  one  sympathized  with  the 
criminals.  In  general  the  Streletzes  met  their  death  with 
great  stolidity — '  there  was  a  kind  of  order  among  the 
unfortunate  wretches ;  they  all  followed  one  another  in 
turn  without  any  sadness  on  their  features,  or  any  horror  of 
their  imminent  death '  .  .  . 

"Further  executions  took  place  during  the  winter,  and 
some  of  the  trials  were  actually  prolonged  for  several  years 
without  great  result.  One  execution  was  delayed  until  1707. 
The  heads  of  many  were  placed  on  spikes  and  their  bodies  re- 
mained heaped  up  at  the  place  of  execution,  while  others 
stayed  nearly  the  whole  winter  hanging  to  the  gallows  and  to 
the  beams  put  through  the  battlements  of  the  walls,    About 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  117 

full  extent,  are  horrible — and  for  the  severity  of 
them  it  is  difficult  to  find  apology  or  palliation  :^ 
they  appear  to  have  been  more  than  was  necessary, 
even  in  Kussia,  and  under  the  very  worst  view  that 
can  be  taken  of  the  circumstances  of  the  case.  It  is 
true  that,  in  the  time  of  Peter,  heads  were  taken 
off  with  as  little  ceremony  in  Muscovy  as  in  Mo- 
rocco ;  but  the  Czar  had  never  yet  shown  himself  a 
vengeful  character,  or  that  his  mind  was  steeled 
against  the  sympathies  of  human  nature.  He 
might  have  thought,  with  Hamlet,  that,  on  the 
present  occasion,  ' '  he  must  be  cruel  only  to  be 
kind  ' ' ;  and  that  a  terrible  example  was  necessary  to 
prevent  the  recurrence  of  such  a  revolt.  It  is  not  to 
be  credited,  however,  that  he  was  such  a  monster  as 
some  of  the  foreign  ministers  at  his  court  have  rep- 
resented; such  as,  in  particular,  a  person  of  the 
name  of  Korb,  secretary  to  the  Austrian  envoy,  has 
described,  in  a  journal  written  in  Latin,  filled  with 
all  manner  of  falsehoods  and  absurdities.  This 
man  says,  that  the  Czar  ordered  each  of  the  judges 
to  be  the  executioner  of  his  own  sentence;  that 
Peter  himself  struck  off  the  heads  of  eighty  persons, 
the  boy ar  Plescow  holding  the  criminals  by  the  hair, 
that  his  majesty  might  have  a  fair  stroke;  that 
Prince  Boris  Galitzin  took  off  five-and-twenty  heads, 

the  middle  of  March  1,068  bodies  were  taken  down  and  heaped 
up  outside  the  town  along  the  roads.  Here  they  remained 
two  weeks  more  before  they  were  buried,  and  commemora- 
tive pillars  with  heads  spiked  on  top  were  erected  on  the 
spot."— Eugene  Schuyler,  Peter  the  Great,  i :  328,  f. 


118        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

but  SO  clumsily  that  the  criminals  suffered  greatly ; 
that  Prince  Rodomonowski  performed  no  better: 
that  not  less  than  two  hundred  of  the  Strelitzes 
were  roasted  on  piles  of  wood;  and  he  further 
states,  that  M.  Le  Fort  and  Baron  de  Plumberg 
begged  to  be  excused  from  taking  upon  them  the 
office  of  executioners,  alleging  it  was  not  the  cus- 
tom of  their  country ;  that  the  excuse  was  admitted, 
but,  at  the  same  time,  the  Czar  observed,  ''there 
was  no  sacrifice  more  agreeable  to  the  Deity  than 
the  blood  of  a  criminal. ' ' 

Another  of  these  diplomatic  gentlemen,  from  the 
court  of  Prussia,  of  the  name  of  Printz,  has  stated 
in  his  private  memoirs,  said  to  be  deposited  in  the 
archives  of  Berlin,  that,  at  a  great  entertainment 
given  by  Peter  I.,  this  sovereign  caused  to  be 
brought  from  their  prisons  about  twenty  of  the 
Strelitzes ;  that,  at  each  glass  which  he  emptied,  he 
struck  off  one  of  their  heads  with  his  own  hand ; 
and  that  he  proposed  to  this  envoy  to  try  his  skill  in 
this  business.  An  account  of  this  exhibition,  it 
seems,  was  sent  by  Frederick  II.  to  Yoltaire,  who, 
however,  had  sufficient  grounds,  in  the  documents 
sent  to  him  from  Eussia,  for  refusing  all  credit  to 
the  absurd  tale  of  an  envoy.  It  has  been  observed, 
indeed,  that,  in  his  history  of  Charles  XII. ,  he  h^ 
credited  the  story.  This  is  true,  but,  at  that  time, 
he  had  only  the  reports  of  those  diplomatists. 
From  them  he  there  says,  ' '  He  (the  Czar)  has  been 
known  to  execute,  with  his  own   hands,  his  o^vn. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  119 

sentences  against  criminals ;  and,  at  a  table  debauch, 
display  his  dexterity  at  cutting  off  heads. ' ' 

These  monstrous  stories  have,  however,  at  a  much 
later  period,  been  copied  by  a  respectable  writer,* 
who  ought  to  have  considered  the  degree  of  credit 
that  was  due  to  the  Austrian  secretar}^,  who  pro- 
fesses his  only  authority  to  have  been  derived  from 
some  German  officers  in  the  service  of  Peter ;  who, 
in  all  likelihood,  were  quizzing  the  secretary,  or 
cramming  him  with  food  for  a  despatch  to  his  em- 
ployers. The  statement  that  Le  Fort  was  present 
at  these  pretended  orgies  is  quite  sufficient  to  prove 
the  falsehood  of  such  a  story,  but  has  not  prevented 
a  repetition  of  it  by  a  modern  author,  whose  im- 
aginative genius  and  theatrical  style  are  exercised  to 
produce  effect  rather  than  to  state  fact.  ''The 
cruel  Czar, ' '  he  says,  ' '  from  the  height  of  his 
throne,  assists  with  a  dry  eye  at  these  executions; 
he  does  more ;  he  mingles  with  the  joys  of  the  table 
the  horrors  of  the  punishment.  Drunk  with  wine 
and  with  blood,  the  glass  in  one  hand,  the  hatchet 
in  the  other,  in  one  single  hour  twenty  successive 
libations  mark  the  fall  of  twenty  heads  of  the 
Strelitz."t 

The  same  Korb,  whose  authority  even  Mr.  Coxe 
says  is  to  be  depended  on,  talks  of  two  hundred  and 
thirty  Strelitzes  being  hung  up  close  to  the  windows 
of  the   nunnery   in    which   Sophia   was   confined. 

*  Levesque,  Histoire  de  Russie,  published  in  1785. 
f  Histoire  de  Russie,  par  M.  Le  Segur. 


120  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Gordon,  it  is  true,  says,  Peter  caused  a  gallows  to 
be  set  up  opposite  to  the  windows  of  her  apartments, 
whereon  he  ordered  three  Strelitzes  to  be  hung  up, 
holding  petitions  towards  her  in  their  hands.  This 
was  a  cruel  and  brutal  act,  even  if  Sophia,  which 
was  not  proved,  had  any  share  in  the  conspiracy. 

These  executions  being  ended,  and  the  whole 
body  of  the  Strelitzes  dispersed  and  drafted  into  the 
different  regiments  recently  formed,  the  attention 
of  Peter  was  immediately  directed  to  a  more  pleas- 
ing, and,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  a  more  congenial  sub- 
ject,— the  regeneration  of  his  country,  and  the  aug- 
mentation and  better  organization  of  the  regular 
army.  The  dress  of  the  Russian  soldier  was  on  the 
Tartar  model — a  long  coat  reaching  to  the  heels  and 
belted  round  the  waist,  loose  drawers  not  unlike  a 
petticoat,  a  conical  helmet  or  cap  on  the  head,  and 
a  face  covered  with  a  long  bushy  beard — all  which, 
besides  the  awkward  appearance,  was  highly  incon- 
venient, and  served  only  as  a  cover  for  indolence, 
inactivity,  and  filth.  The  objection  to  such  a  dress 
was  equally  applicable  in  civil  as  in  military  life ; 
but  he  knew  well  enough  the  odium  he  would  ex- 
cite by  shortening  the  skirts  and  shaving  the  beards 
of  his  subjects,  and  that  some  risk  would  be  in- 
curred, by  attacking  the  ancient  prejudices,  the 
fixed  habits,  and  the  barbarous  manners  of  a  whole 
nation.  He  was  aware  that  he  would  have  to  com- 
bat with  thousands  that  Avere  enemies  to  all  reform, 
and  to  himself  personally ;  and  that  the  millions  of 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  121 

serfs  and  slaves  even  would  resent,  if  not  resist,  such 
an  attack  on  their  deep-rooted  prejudices.  Even 
those  who  were  most  friendly  disposed  grew 
frightened  at  the  sweeping  reform  which  they  knew 
he  had  in  contemplation ;  some  from  a  general  dis- 
like of  innovation;  others,  because  their  interests 
were  likely  to  be  affected ;  and  others,  again,  for  no 
better  reason  than  a  desire  that  things  should  re- 
main as  they  were,  and  had  so  long  been,  thinking 
probably,  with  the  simple  Ophelia,  ''We  know 
what  we  are,  but  know  not  what  we  may  be." 
These  considerations  did  not  escape  the  Czar,  but  he 
deemed  it  worth  the  trial,  at  some  hazard,  to  re- 
move the  exterior  emblems  of  barbarism,  and  to 
substitute  the  more  decent  and  commodious  garb  of 
civilization — and  thus  to  remove  the  visible  bar  of 
separation  between  the  Russian  and  the  Western 
European. 

He  ordained,  therefore,  that  not  the  army  alone, 
but  all  ranks  of  citizens,  should  shave  their  beards, 
and  dock  the  skirts  of  their  coats ;  and  that  on  all 
those,  who  after  a  given  time  should  disobey  the 
order,  a  tax  should  be  levied  of  one  hundred  rubles, 
which  soon  became  a  productive  source  of  revenue, 
such  Avas  the  pertinacity  in  preserving  their  beards, 
as  a  distinguishing  mark  from  foreigners,  for  whom 
they  entertained  an  inveterate  hatred.  The  priests 
and  the  peasantry  were  only  required  to  pay  a  co- 
peck every  time  they  passed  the  gate  of  a  city. 
The  collectors  of  this  tax  gave  a  small  copper  coin 


122  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

as  a  receipt,  on  one  side  of  which  was  stamped  the 
figure  of  a  nose,  mouth,  mustachios,  and  a  long 
bushy  beard,  Avith  the  words  ''  token  of  payment," 
and  on  the  reverse  the  date  of  the  year.  * 

We  have  Peter's  own  account  of  the  reform 
which  he  commenced  in  the  year  1699.  He  says, 
he  regulated  the  printing-press — caused  translations 
to  be  made  and  printed  of  different  books  on  engi- 
neering, artillery,  mechanics,  and  other  arts,  as 
well  as  books  of  history  and  chronology.  He 
founded  a  school  for  the  marine,  and  by  degrees 
those  for  other  sciences  and  arts ;  schools  also  for 
the  Latin,  German,  and  other  languages.  He  per- 
mitted his  subjects  to  trade  in  foreign  countries, 
which  before  they  could  not  do  on  pain  of  death ; 
and  not  only  gave  them  permission,  but  obliged 
them  to  go.  He  instituted  the  order  of  St.  Andrew, 
the  apostle  of  Eussia.f  He  signed  with  his  own 
hand,  which  his  predecessors  had  rarely  done,  all 

*  Parmi  les  monnaies  fiappees  sous  le  regne  de  L'Empereur 
Pierre  le  Grand,  on  remarque  une  piece  nommee  "  borodovaia "' 
(barbue)  ;  elle  portait  en  effigie  un  profil,  avec  une  barbe. 
Elle  se  distribuoit  aux  schismatiques  qui  payaient  un  impot 
pour  conserver  le  droit  de  porter  la  barbe. — Le  Compte  de 
Laveau. 

f  Peter  founded  this  order  in  1698.  **  The  badge  is  the 
double  eagle  of  Russia  in  black  enamel,  upon  the  breast  of 
which  is  the  crucifix  of  St.  Andrew,  with  saltier-shaped  cross, 
the  whole  surmounted  by  an  imperial  crown.  Tlie  ribbon  is 
blue  ;  but  on  state  occasions  this  badge  is  worn  pendent  to  a 
collar  composed  of  similar  crowned  eagles,  of  ovals  bearing 
saltiers,  and  of  shields  with  flags  and  crowns." 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  1^3 

despatches,  manifestoes,  and  treaties  with  Christian 
powers.  * 

Peter  had  soon  seen  the  folly  and  inconvenience 
of  preserving  a  calendar  different  from  that  of  all 
other  European  nations.  The  Kussians  began  their 
year  on  the  first  of  September.  Peter  gave  out  an 
order  that  an  alteration  should  be  made,  and  that 
the  year  1700  should  commence,  as  among  all  other 
Christian  nations,  on  the  first  of  January,  which 
day  was  to  be  celebrated  by  a  general  jubilee,  and 
other  great  solemnities.  This  innovation,  in  the 
minds  of  the  refractory  priests,  was  even  worse  than 
antichrist ;  for,  according  to  them,  as  God  created 
the  world  in  the  month  of  September,  he  meant 
that  the  creation  of  it  should  be  dated  from  that 
period.  The  great  bulk  of  the  people  were  puzzled 
to  find  out  how  the  Czar  would  be  able  to  change 
the  course  of  the  sun.  It  required  some  time  to  rec- 
oncile the  Russians  to  the  change,  and  many  of 
them  continued  to  observe  the  old  era ;  but  when 
all  the  public  offices,  the  courts  of  justice,  and  the 
£trmy  and  navy  had  adopted  the  new  style,  it  very 
soon  became  general. 

It  had  been  the  custom  for  ladies  not  to  associate 
with  the  other  sex  at  feasts  or  entertainments,  or,  if 
admitted  into  the  same  apartment,  they  had  always 
a  separate  table.  When  a  young  girl  was  about  to 
be  married,  she  was  not  allowed  to  see  her  betrothed 
till  the  day  of  the  ceremony;  and,  among  the 
*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


124        LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

nobility,  when  one  of  their  sons  was  to  take  a  wife, 
the  usual  practice  was,  as  already  mentioned  in  the 
case  of  the  Czar  Alexis,  to  assemble  all  the  young 
ladies  of  rank  in  some  large  room ;  and  the  young 
gentleman  who  was  in  search  of  a  wife,  after  ex- 
amining the  group,  pitched  upon  the  lady  that 
struck  his  fancy  most,  and  she  became  his  bride. 
Peter  not  only  abolished  this  absurd  oriental  custom, 
but,  by  inviting  both  sexes,  whether  married  or  un- 
married, to  his  assemblies,  the  fashion  of  mixing 
together  at  their  own  houses  became  general,  and 
he  thus  rescued  the  female  part  of  the  nation 
from  a  state  of  abasement  little  short  of  absolute 
slavery. 

Peter  had  not  been  unmindful,  when  he  instituted 
the  order  of  St.  Andrew,  of  the  good  effect  pro- 
duced by  the  distribution  of  honors  and  orders  for 
meritorious  services,  in  the  armies  of  the  sovereigns 
of  Europe,  whose  courts  he  had  visited ;  and  that 
these  decorations  gave  a  brilliancy  which  was  want- 
ing in  his  own ;  and  as  these  marks  of  distinction 
cost  nothing  to  the  country,  and  flattered  the  vanity 
of  those  who  obtained  them,  while  they  added  noth- 
ing to  their  influence,  he  not  only  instituted  the 
order  above  mentioned,  but  appointed  his  favorite, 
Golownin,  whom  he  had  raised  to  the  dignity  of 
admiral,  as  the  first  knight  of  that  order,  thereby 
marking  his  predilection  for  the  naval  service. 

As  the  example  which  Peter  had  himself  set 
could  not  well  be  refused  by  his  subjects,  he  had 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  125 

less  difficulty,  in  the  formation  of  his  new  troops,  in 
obliging  the  sons  of  the  boyars  and  the  kneezes  (or 
princes)  to  serve  in  the  capacity  of  common  soldiers, 
before  they  could  hold  commissions  as  officers. 
Other  young  men,  on  the  same  principle,  were  sent 
to  serve  in  his  fleet  at  Yoronitz,  on  the  Don,  and 
before  Azof,  as  common  sailors,  from  which  situation 
they  Avere  to  rise  to  commands  through  the  several 
gradations.  He  was  particularly  attentive  to  the 
building,  repairing,  and  equipping  a  large  fleet  on 
the  Don,  in  which  he  was  assisted  by  the  English 
officers  that  he  had  carried  out  with  him,  and  those 
that  had  been  sent  from  Holland.  His  grand 
scheme  of  joining  the  Don  and  the  Yolga,  in  which 
Brakel  the  German  engineer  had  failed,  was  now 
resumed,  under  Captain  Perry,  who  had  also  the 
direction  of  constructing  basins,  sluices,  and  careen- 
ing-wharves  for  his  squadron. 

The  Czar,  having  made  his  arrangements  for  giv- 
ing official  effect  to  these  and  some  other  innova- 
tions, set  off  for  Yoronitz  to  inspect  the  naval  works 
carrying  on  at  that  place,  but  had  not  been  long 
absent  when  the  intelligence  of  the  sudden  death  of 
his  much -esteemed  and  valued  friend  Le  Fort 
reached  him.  This  unlooked-for  event  over- 
Avhelmed  him  with  deep  distress.  It  was,  in  fact, 
the  most  severe  loss  that  he  could  have  sustained  at 
this  time,  as  it  deprived  him  of  that  valuable  assist- 
ance he  had  calculated  upon,  in  bringing  all  his 
projects  into   successful  operation.     This  excellent 


126  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

man  was  snatched  away  by  an  untimely  fate  at  the 
age  of  forty-six,  in  the  month  of  March,  1699. 
His  remains  were  honored  by  a  public  funeral, 
which  vied  with  the  magnificence  of  the  most  splen- 
did obsequies  that  sovereigns  are  accustomed  to  re- 
ceive. The  Czar  hastened  back  to  Moscow  to  assist 
in  person  in  the  funeral  procession ;  and  as  this  ex- 
traordinary monarch  never  acted  without  a  motive, 
he  took  his  station  behind  all  the  captains,  as  a  lieu- 
tenant, the  rank  he  bore  in  General  Le  Fort's  regi- 
ment ;  in  order  that  the  nobility  and  his  courtiers 
might  see,  that  on  no  occasion  did  he  lose  sight  of 
that  respect  Avhich  was  due  to  merit  and  to  military 
subordination.  The  remains  were  deposited  in  the 
Dutch  Reformed  church  in  Moscow,  where  a  monu- 
ment was  erected  to  his  memory,  bearing  a  long  in- 
scription in  the  Latin  and  Dutch  languages.  Thus 
the  name  of  Le  Fort  will  go  down  to  posterity, 
along  with  that  of  his  master,  as  a  benefactor  to  the 
whole  Russian  nation. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  extravagant  proceedings 
of  Peter,  when  on  his  travels  in  Holland  and  Eng- 
land, and  his  affected  laboring  as  a  common  ship- 
wright, Avere  the  mere  freaks  of  a  wild  and  unsteady 
young  man,  and  tended  to  no  useful  purpose.  The 
following  letter,  written  by  Mr.  Deane,  a  brother  of 
Sir  Anthony  Deane,  commissioner  and  surveyor  of 
the  navy,  dated  Moscow,  in  March,  1699,  soon  after 
the  Czar's  return,  will  prove  that  such  was  by  no 
,  means  the  case : — 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  127 

Moscow,  March  8,  169|,  O.S. 

''  My  Lord, — I  have  deferred  writing,  till  I  could 
be  able  to  give  your  lordship  a  true  account  (from 
my  own  knowledge)  of  the  Czar  (our  master's)  navy, 
which,  being  a  new  thing  in  the  world  as  yet,  I 
believe,  is  variously  talked  of  in  England,  &c.  First, 
at  Voronize  there  are  already  in  the  water  and 
rigged  thirty-six,  and  to  be  launched  in  the  spring 
twenty  more  stout  ships,  from  thirty  to  sixty  guns. 
JSText,  eighteen  very  large  galleys  (built  after  the 
Venetian  manner  by  Italian  masters)  are  already 
completed;  and  one  hundred  smaller  galleys  or 
brigantines  are  equipped  for  the  sea :  seven  bomb- 
ships  are  launched  and  rigged,  and  four  fire-ships 
are  building  against  the  spring,  when  they  are  all 
to  go  down  to  Azof.  The  ships  are  chiefly  built  by 
the  Dutch  and  Danes. 

' '  At  my  arrival  in  Moscoic,  I  fell  very  ill  of  the 
bloody-flux,  which  made  me  be  in  Moscow  when  his 
majesty  came  home  :  about  the  latter  end  of  October 
I  was  somewhat  recovered ;  his  majesty  then  carried 
me  down  to  Voronize  with  him.  Voronize  is  about 
400  English  miles  south-east  from  Moscow.  There 
the  Czar  immediately  set  up  a  ship  of  sixty  guns, 
where  he  is  both  foreman  and  master-builder ;  and, 
not  to  flatter  him,  I'll  assure  your  lordship  it  will  be 
the  best  ship  among  them,  and  it  is  all  from  his  own 
draught :  how  he  framed  her  together,  and  how  he 
made  the  mould,  and  in  so  short  a  time  as  he  did,  is 
really  wonderful.     But  he  is  able,  at  this  day,  to 


128  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

put  his  own  notions  into  practice,  and  laugh  at  his 
Dutch  and  Italian  builders  for  their  ignorance. 
There  are  several  pieces  of  workmanship,  as  in  the 
keel,  stern,  and  post,  which  are  purely  his  own  inven- 
tion, and  sound  good  work,  and  would  be  approved 
by  all  the  shipwrights  of  England^  if  they  saw  it. 
She  has  a  round  tuck,  and  a  narrow  floor,  a  good 
tumbling-home,  and  circular  side :  none  are  to  ex- 
ceed eleven  Dutch  feet  draught  of  Avater.  He  has 
not  run  into  any  extreme,  but  taken  the  mediums  of 
all  good  sailing  properties  which  seem  best.  One 
may,  methinks,  call  her  an  abstract  of  his  own  pri- 
vate observations  while  abroad,  strengthened  by 
your  lordship's  improving  discourses  to  him  on  that 
subject,  and  his  own  extraordinary  notion  of  sailing. 
One  thing  as  to  her  keel  is,  that  should  it  wholly  be 
beat  out,  yet  it  is  so  ordered  that  the  ship  will  be 
tight  and  safe,  and  may  continue  so  at  sea  after- 
ward. * 

' '  I  likewise  made  a  suit  of  moulds  for  a  ship  of 
sixty  guns,  but  after  some  time  fell  sick  again :  and 
at  Ghristimas^  when  his  majesty  came  to  Moscow^ 
he  brought  me  back  again  for  recovery  of  my 
health,  where  I  am  at  present ;  notwithstanding  both 
our  ships  go  forward,  having  put  things  in  such  a 
posture,  as  that  a  GrecioM  (who  has  been  in  England) 

*  This  alludes  to  her  bottom  being  one  solid  mass — a  mode 
of  building  practised  in  Holland  centuries  ago,  and  on  the 
west  coast  of  India  centuries  before  that,  but  which  is  a  re- 
cent invention  in  England. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  129 

carries  on  the  business.  Mr.  Ney  *  is  building  a 
sixty-gLin  ship  there  too ;  besides,  there  are  four  of 
that  size  (near  built)  upon  the  Don^  two  of  forty 
guns  already  at  Azof^  carried  down  some  time  since, 
and  a  great  many  galleys,  &c. 

^ '  The  river  Yoronob^  at  Yoronize^  when  I  was 
there,  was  hardly  so  broad  as  the  ships  are  long : 
but  in  the  spring,  about  the  latter  end  of  Ajpril^  or 
beginning  of  May^  when  the  snow  melts,  there  is 
sixteen  feet  of  water  in  that  little  river,  which  con- 
tinues this  height  about  twelve  or  fourteen  days, 
with  a  rapid  torrent,  with  that  force,  that  though  it 
be  1000  miles  down  to  Azof^  yet  the  ships  will 
easily  be  there  in  nine  or  ten  days. 

' '  His  majesty  was  at  my  chamber  two  days  of 
last  week,  with  Mr.  Styles^  as  interpreter  (w^ho  gives 
his  humble  duty  to  your  lordship).  You  may  guess 
what  his  majesty  came  to  be  informed  in,  while  he 
was  there.  I  showed  him  a  model  of  a  machine  to 
bring  up  the  Royal  Transjyort  to  the  Yolga^  at 
seventeen  inches  draught  of  water ;  he  was  pleased 
to  like  it,  but  gave  no  orders  for  putting  it  in  exe- 
cution, so,  I  believe,  she  will  lie  where  she  is  now, 
and  perish.  Here  are  three  envoys,  viz.  the  ^m- 
peror^s^  the  Danes\  and  Brandenhurg^s^  in  this 
Slabodo  (as  it  is  called),  which  lies  from  Moscow  as 
Lamleth  does  from  London.  The  whole  place  is  in- 
habited by  the  Dutch;  I  believe  there  may  be  four 
hundred  families.  Last  Sunday  and  Monday  the 
*  Another  English  shipwright, 

9 


130       LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

strangers  were  invited  to  the  consecration  of  Gen- 
eral Le  Forfs  new  house,  which  is  the  noblest  build- 
ing in  Eussia,  and  finely  furnished.  There  were  all 
the  envoys,  and,  as  near  as  I  could  guess,  two  hun- 
dred gentlemen,  English^  French^  and  Dutch,  and 
about  as  many  ladies ;  each  day  were  dancing  and 
music. — All  the  envoys  and  all  the  lords  (but  three, 
in  Moscow)  are  going  to  Yoronize,  to  see  the  fleet,  I 
suppose. 

''His  majesty  went,  last  Sunday ,  to  Yoronize, 
with  Prince  Alexander,  and  I  am  to  go  down  (being 
somewhat  recovered)  with  the  vice-admiral,  about 
six  days  hence.  This  day  was  a  muster  of  all  the 
seamen  and  officers  of  his  majesty's  service,  three- 
fourths  of  which  are  discharged.  They  are  to  go 
home  by  the  way  of  Narva.  Captain  Perry,  who 
was  sent  to  make  a  communication  between  the 
rivers  Volga  and  Don,  near  Astracan,  is  returned 
from  surveying  the  same ;  he  makes  it  appear  fea- 
sible enough  to  be  done ;  accordingly  his  majesty  has 
ordered  forty  thousand  men  to  be  raised,  and  mate- 
rials provided  for  doing  the  same;  which  he  has 
promised  to  finish  in  five  years,  though  I  believe  it 
may  be  done  in  less.  When  that  is  performed, 
then  the  Czar  may  carry  his  ships  from  the  Black 
Sea  into  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  extend  his  conquest 
that  way. 

' '  My  lord,  what  I  have  writ,  I  wish  it  may  be 
any  satisfaction  to  your  lordship,  and  I  have  my 
^iid^  who  am^  &c,  John  Deane, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  131 

''  Postscript. — Since  my  writing  this,  General  Ze 
Fort  is  dead  of  a  high  fever;  and  we  expect  his 
majesty  up  this  night  from  Yoronitz. "  * 

This  letter  affords  abundant  proof  how  much  this 
extraordinary  young  monarch  had  profited  by  his 
travels.  Indeed  there  is  no  parallel,  in  ancient  or 
modern  history,  of  a  powerful  and  absolute  sover- 
eign, in  the  undisputed  possession  of  the  throne  of 
a  most  extensive  empire,  ruling  with  unlimited 
sway,  uncontrolled  by  any  other  authority — of  a 
prince,  in  the  full  vigor  of  life,  with  the  most  ample 
means  of  indulging  in  the  gratification  of  every 
luxury  and  pleasure  that  fancy,  or  caprice,  or  pas- 
sion could  suggest — of  a  youth  of  five-and-twenty, 
relinquishing  all  the  enjoyments  and  all  the  fascina- 
tions that  are  supposed  to  court  the  high  and  palmy 
state  of  a  throne,  abandoning  them  all — and  for 
what? — to  travel  in  foreign  countries,  as  an  obscure 
individual,  for  the  sake  of  acquiring  personal  and 
practical  information  and  instruction;  sacrificing 
every  luxury  and  every  pomp  which  wealth  and  re- 
gal power  could  command,  and  submitting  himself 
to  undergo  the  daily  drudgery,  the  mean  clothing, 
and  frugal  diet  of  a  common  working  shipwright. 

The  Czar,  having  performed  the  last  obsequies  to 

*  A  letter  from  Moscow  to  the  Marquis  of  Caermarthen  re- 
lating to  the  Czar  of  Muscovy's  forwardness  in  his  great  navy, 
&c,  since  his  return  home.  By  John  Veane,  This  gentleman 
clied  at  Moscow  the  same  year. 


132  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

his  friend,  returned  to  his  favorite  dockyard,  at 
Yoronitz,  where  a  vast  number  of  foreigners,  of  all 
descriptions,  had  been  collected,  consisting  gener- 
ally of  English,  Dutch,  German,  and  Italian  arti- 
ficers. Peter  mixed  with  these  without  ceremony, 
dressed  generally  like  the  workmen,  in  a  round  hat, 
jacket,  and  trousers,  paying  great  attention  to  every 
thing  that  was  going  on,  conversing  freely  with  the 
Dutch  more  especially,  whose  language  he  perfectly 
understood.  If  he  happened  to  see  some  poor  fel- 
low struggling  with  his  loaded  wheelbarrow,  he 
would  put  him  aside,  and  seizing  hold  of  the  handles, 
trundle  it  away  to  the  required  spot.  Sometimes  he 
would  take  a  spade  and  show  the  people  how  to  use 
it  to  the  best  advantage.  When  an  accident  hap- 
pened to  any  of  the  workmen,  he  was  always  the 
first  to  afford  them  relief,  to  dress  their  wounds, 
and,  if  necessary,  to  bleed  them,  at  which  he  was 
particularly  expert. 

While  thus  superintending  the  workmen,  and 
bustling  about  the  whole  day,  he  Avas  always  placid 
and  in  good-humor,  appearing  quite  a  different  per- 
son from  the  stern  sovereign  who  had  so  recently 
dealt  out  those  terrible  punishments  at  Moscow, 
from  the  judgment-seat  of  which  it  would  seem  as 
if  he  fled  hither  to  calm  and  relieve  his  exasperated 
feelings.  Peter  was,  in  truth,  cruel  from  circum- 
stances, and  not  by  nature ;  a  thousand  little  traits 
proved  the  kindness  of  his  disposition,  more  par- 
ticularly to  those  who  stood  most  in  need  of  expe- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  133 

riencing  it.  It  was  his  custom  frequently  to  visit,  in 
their  humble  abodes,  his  subjects  of  the  lower 
classes;  and  he  never  refused  to  hold  their  little 
ones  at  the  baptismal  font;  a  condescension  for 
which  he  had  perpetual  calls  from  one  class  or 
another  of  his  subjects.  To  the  first-born  of  the 
ofiicers  and  soldiers  of  his  own  regiment  of  guards 
he  almost  always  was  called  upon  to  stand  god- 
father ;  and  contented  himself  with  giving  a  kiss  to 
the  mother,  and  putting  a  ruble,  and  sometimes  a 
ducat,*  under  the  pillow.  The  Empress  Elizabeth 
told  Stsehlin  that  young  Peter,  son  of  the  unfortu- 
nate Alexis,  having  one  day  mentioned  to  her  that 
he  had  sent  a  hundred  ducats  to  the  wife  of  an 
officer  of  the  guards,  to  whose  child  he  had  stood 
godfather,  she  told  him  that,  if  he  acted  so  magnifi- 
cently, he  must  be  provided  with  a  heavy  purse. 
' '  My  father, ' '  said  the  empress,  ' '  who  stood 
sponsor  to  as  many  as  wished  it,  and  who  refused 
none,  did  not  do  so— -a  kiss  to  the  mother,  and  a 
ducat  under  the  pillow,  were  all,  and  the  parents 
were  well  satisfied." 

On  his  return  to,  and  short  residence  at,  Moscow, 
he  mixed  more  .familiarly  than  before  with  the  re- 
spectable part  of  the  inhabitants,  and  made  frequent 
visits  to  the  foreign  ministers  and  foreign  merchants 
settled  there.  These  visits,  indeed,  were  not  al- 
ways quite  convenient  to  those  who  received  them, 
as  he  was  sometimes  accompanied  by  a  train  of  fifty 

♦  The  ruble  was  worth  about  77  cents,  and  the  ducat  $2.38, 


134  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

or  sixty  persons.  The  Dutch  envoy  requested  the 
States- General  to  make  him  an  allowance,  to  meet 
the  extraordinary  expense.  The  visits  of  sovereigns, 
however  flattering  to  the  vanity  of  those  individ- 
uals whom  they  are  pleased  to  honor,  are  fre- 
quently attended  with  so  much  inconvenience,  that 
they  should  be  ' '  like  angel  visits,  sho7'f  and  far 
between. ' ' 

We  have  a  specimen  in  that  honest  Dutch  travel- 
er, Cornelius  Le  Bruyn,  of  the  familiar  and  easy 
manner  in  which  Peter  conversed  with  strangers. 
Le  Bruyn  happened  to  be  present  at  one  of  those 
visits  made  by  the  Czar  at  the  house  of  a  Dutch 
merchant  of  the  name  of  Brandt,  and  this,  the  travel- 
er conceived,  gave  him  the  privilege  of  making 
his  profound  respects  to  his  majesty,  the  next  time 
he  came  into  his  presence.  Peter  looked  at  him, 
and  asked  him,  in  Dutch,  ' '  Hoe  wiet  zy  wie  ik  ben, 
en  hoe  komt  zy  my  te  kennen  ?  " — How  know  you 
who  I  am,  and  how  came  you  to  know  me?  "I 
answered, ' '  says  Le  Bruyn,  ' '  that  I  had  seen  his  por- 
trait in  London,  and  that  it  had  made  too  strong  an 
impression  on  my  mind  not  to  recollect  it."  This 
not  appearing  satisfactory  to  the  Czar,  Le  Bruyn 
added  that  he  had  seen  his  majesty  at  his  friend 
Brandt's.  He  then  overwhelmed  him  with  a  whole 
volley  of  those  questions  which  would  appear  to 
form  a  kind  of  royal  catechism  for  all  nations. 
''  He  asked  me  of  what  city  I  was — who  my  par- 
ents were — if  they  were  still  living — if  I  had  any 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I35 

brothers  or  sisters  ?  He  then  inquired  as  to  my 
former  travels — in  what  year  I  had  undertaken 
them — how  long  I  had  been  about  them — in  what 
manner  I  made  them,  and  how  I  returned  from 
them — and  a  multitude  of  questions  of  this  kind. ' ' 

Le  Bruyn,  one  day  after  this,  met  the  Czar  at  the 
palace  of  Menzikoff ,  making  experiments  with  some 
fire-engines.  On  seeing  him,  he  desired  that  he 
would  go  with  him  into  the  house,  saying,  * '  You 
have  seen  a  great  number  of  things,  but  I  doubt 
whether  you  ever  met  with  what  I  am  going  to 
show  you ;  "  at  the  same  time  ordering  a  poor  mis- 
erable object  to  be  brought  before  him,  and  that  his 
clothes  should  be  taken  off.  This  unfortunate  man  had 
an  indescribably  horrible  fistula  near  the  middle  of 
his  diaphragm,  and  he  had  been  in  this  condition  for 
nine  years.  The  Czar,  he  says,  appeared  to  take  a 
great  interest  in  the  sufferings  of  this  unhappy 
Russian.  * 

The  immediate  object  of  the  fleet  of  gunboats 
and  other  vessels  which  the  Czar  was  building  and 
preparing  on  the  Don  was  the  protection  of  Azof ; 
but  the  ultimate  view  was,  no  doubt,  as  already  ob- 
served, to  push  his  conquests  to  the  shores  of  the 
Black  Sea.  JSTor  was  the  accomplishment  of  this 
great  point,  which  might  afford  him  the  free  navi- 
gation of  that  inland  sea,  sufficient  to  satisfy  his 
ardent  desire  for  the  prosperity  and  improvement  of 
his  country.  From  the  great  ocean  he  would  still  be 
*  Voyage  de  Cornelius  Le  Bruyn, 


136  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

excluded ;  and  he  was  fully  aware  that  the  naviga- 
tion of  this  alone  could  afford  him  a  free  communi- 
cation with  the  maritime  states  of  Europe.  He  had 
seen  enough  on  his  travels  to  convince  him  that  un- 
fettered commerce  was  the  great  source  of  civiliza- 
tion and  wealth.  The  forest  of  masts  that  met 
his  eye  everywhere  on  the  Thames,  the  number  of 
ships  that  crowded  the  ports  and  canals  of  Amster- 
dam and  Rotterdam,  could  not  fail  to  convince  a 
person  of  his  penetration,  that  Russia,  to  be  great, 
must  have  some  other  port,  connected  with  the 
great  ocean,  than  the  only  one  she  then  possessed, 
at  the  northern  extremity  of  his  dominions,  which 
was  accessible  for  shipping  only  six  months  in  the 
year,  by  a  sea  that  was  frozen  up  the  other  six,  and 
at  all  times  dangerous ;  and  removed  to  a  great  dis- 
tance, too,  both  from  the  maritime  nations  of  west- 
ern Europe  and  from  his  own  capital.  But  the  bar- 
barous people  whom  it  was  his  destiny  to  enlighten 
were  averse  to  any  extension  of  commercial  inter- 
course. What,  indeed,  could  be  hoped  from  a 
people  so  immersed  in  ignorance  as  to  persuade 
themselves  that  the  foreign  ships  which  came  to 
Archangel  for  their  corn  and  timber,  their  hemp, 
hides,  and  tallow,  resorted  thither  as  to  a  country 
which  was  the  granary  and  storehouse  of  all  Europe? 
The  Chinese  say,  that  Heaven  has  conferred  on  the 
celestial  empire  a  plant  which  it  has  refused  to  all 
other  nations  of  the  earth ;  but  that  their  heavenly 
emperor,  in  his  great  benevolence,  has  kindly  per^ 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I37 

mitted  the  Fan-quei^  or  barbarous  brutes  of  other 
countries,  to  participate  in  the  enjoyment  of  this 
precious  blessing.  Thus  also  the  Kussians,  like  the 
Chinese  with  their  tea,  were  pleased  to  think  it  a 
great  indulgence  to  let  foreign  traders  take  away 
the  precious  products  of  their  soil,  \vhich  nature  had 
denied  to  other  countries,  and  without  which  the 
natives  of  those  countries  Avould  be  in  danger  of 
perishing  through  cold  and  famine. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  for  the  Czar,  all  powerful 
as  he  was,  to  convince  such  barbarians  that,  to  make 
them  a  great  and  flourishing  people,  they  must  have 
what  another  great  captain  so  fiercely  thirsted  for, 
^ '  ships,  colonies,  and  commerce. ' '  These  were  the 
objects  on  w^hich  it  was  apparent  he  constantly  kept 
his  eye.  The  encouragement  which  he  gave  to 
learned  men  to  traverse  the  untrodden  regions  of 
Siberia — the  mission  of  Ysbrant  Ides  to  China — the 
attempts  to  open  a  commerce  with  India  by  the 
Caspian  Sea,  through  Bucharia — the  expedition  of 
Behring  to  discover  a  north-east  passage,  with  in- 
structions written  with  his  own  hand — all  tended  to 
one  and  the  same  object — that  of  making  Russia  a 
great  commercial  nation. 

Still,  however,  something  was  considered  to  be 
wanting  to  complete  his  views  in  this  respect — and 
that  was  a  free  and  uninterrupted  communication 
with  the  great  ocean — an  object  which,  it  appeared 
to  him,  could  only  be  obtained  by  having  the  com- 
mand of  the  one  or  the  other  coast  of  that  part  ol 


138  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

the  Baltic  called  the  Gulf  of  Finland ;  and  both  of 
these  had  long  been,  and  still  Avere,  in  the  possession 
of  the  Swedes,  who  had  also  the  two  banks  of  the 
Neva,  up  to  the  Lake  of  Ladoga.  Thus  he  found 
himself  hemmed  in  on  every  side,  in  the  only  quar- 
ter where  his  ardent  wishes  could  be  accomplished. 
He  had  seen  Riga  on  his  travels,  and  met  there  with 
a  blunt  refusal  to  be  admitted  into  the  citadel :  he 
said  little  at  the  time,  except  that  he  should  prob- 
ably meet  with  more  civility  at  his  next  visit, — for 
he  hoped  to  see  the  day  when  he  should  have  the 
honor  to  refuse  the  same  piece  of  civility  to  the 
King  of  Sweden  himself.  Something  more  than  is 
stated  by  authors  must  here  have  occurred;  for 
Peter,  in  his  journal,  asks  Augustus  King  of  Poland 
to  avenge  the  insult  which  D'Alberg  had  offered 
him,  "  od  il  put  a  peine  sauver  sa  vie. "  *  f  The 
fine  position  of  Riga  at  the  bottom  of  the  Gulf  of 
Livonia,  opening  into  the  Baltic,  and  the  recollec- 
tion of  its  having  once  belonged  to  Russia,  were 
not  lost  to  his  penetrating  mind.  An  opening  now 
presented  itself  on  which  he  was  but  too  ready  to 
seize ;  it  was  that  of  a  combined  offensive  alliance 
of  three  powers  against  Sweden,  which  promised  a 
fair  chance  of  putting  him  in  possession  of  the  grand 
object  of  his  wishes ;  and  without  such  assistance, 
considering  the  recent  formation  of  his  army,  he 
could  not  hope  to  obtain  it  single-handed  against 

*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 

f  "Where  he  cau  scarcely  save  his  life." 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  139 

the  old  and  well-disciplined  troops  of  that  na- 
tion. 

The  greater  part  of  Livonia  and  Esthonia  had 
been  ceded  by  Poland  to  Charles  the  Eleventh  of 
Sweden.  Augustus,  the  Elector  of  Saxony,  having 
been  called  by  choice  to  the  throne  of  Poland,  con- 
ceived the  design  of  recovering  these  provinces. 
Peter,  at  the  same  time,  was  meditating  his  grand 
scheme  of  national  improvement,  and  had  resolved 
to  begin  by  endeavoring  to  make  himself  master  of 
Ingria  and  Carelia.  The  King  of  Denmark,  who 
had  suffered  greatly  from  the  Swedish  arms, 
hastened  to  conclude  a  league  with  the  Czar  and 
Augustus  against  the  young  King  of  Sweden, 
Charles  XII.,  who  was  now  (1700)  only  eighteen 
years  of  age.  The  objects  then  of  the  war  to  be 
undertaken  by  these  confederates  were  threefold — 
for  Kussia,  the  reunion  of  Ingria  and  Carelia — for 
Poland,  the  recovery  of  Livonia  and  Esthonia — and, 
for  Denmark,  the  provinces  of  Holstein  and  Sles- 
wig.  The  Czar  was  the  more  ready  to  enter  into 
this  confederacy,  as  he  had  just  succeeded  in  con- 
cluding a  truce  for  twenty- five  years  with  the 
Turks,  and,  therefore,  was  not  likely  to  have  occa- 
sion to  draw  off  his  forces  towards  the  southward. 

Sweden  became  alarmed  at  the  report  of  the  prep- 
arations that  were  making  against  her,  and  had 
little  confidence  in  the  young  king,  who  had  hither- 
to shown  no  inclination  for  public  business,  nor 
evinced  any  ardor  for  military  pursuits.     It  was 


140  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

therefore  proposed  in  council,  at  which  Charles  sat, 
to  avert  the  storm  bj  negotiation ;  Avhen  the  young 
prince,  with  great  gravity,  and  a  resolute  tone, 
said,  ' '  I  am  resolved  never  to  enter  upon  an  unjust 
war,  nor  to  end  a  just  one  but  by  the  destruction  of 
my  enemies.  I  will  attack  the  first  who  shall  de- 
clare against  me,  and  when  I  have  conquered  him,  I 
may  hope  to  strike  terror  into  the  rest."^  From 
that  moment  he  renounced  all  his  former  habits  and 
amusements.  Eight  thousand  men  were  immedi- 
ately marched  into  Pomerania,  and  he  embarked 
hunself  with  his  prime  minister,  Count  Piper,  and 
General  Penschild,  in  a  ship  of  a  hundred  and 
twenty  guns ;  and,  Avith  a  fleet  of  upwards  of  forty 
sail,  offered  battle  to  the  Danish  fleet,  which  was 
declined :  he  then  steadily  pursued  his  course,  and 
prepared  to  lay  siege  to  Copenhagen — but  obtained 
400,000  rix-dollarsf  from  the  deputies  who  were 
sent  to  him  to  negotiate,  as  the  condition  for  his  ab- 
staining from  the  bombardment  of  the  city.  In 
short,  he  compelled  the  King  of  Denmark,  within 
six  weeks,  to  sign  a  peace,  which  restored  Ilolstein 
to  the  duke,  its  lawful  sovereign,  and  indemnified 
him  for  all  the  expenses  of  the  war. 

The  King  of  Poland  was  not  more  successful. 
He  laid  siege  to  Kiga,  the  capital  of  Livonia, — and 
received  notice  that  the  Czar  was  on  the  march  with 
a  hundred  thousand  men  to  join  him.     Count  Flem- 

*  Voltaire's  Hist,  of  Charles  XII. 

j  The  rix-doUar  was  worth  about  54  cents. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  141 

ing  commanded  the  Polish  forces, — but  the  experience 
of  the  old  Count  D'Alberg,  the  same  who  refused 
Peter  leave  to  enter  the  citadel  rendered  all  the 
efforts  of  the  besiegers  fruitless,  and  the  King  of 
Poland,  despairing  of  success,  availed  himself  of  a 
plausible  pretext  for  raising  the  siege.  Eiga  was  at 
that  time  full  of  merchandise  belonging  to  the  Dutch. 
The  States- General  ordered  their  ambassador  to  the 
King  Augustus  to  make  proper  representations  to 
him  on  the  subject.  "  The  King  of  Poland,"  says 
Voltaire,  "  did  not  stand  in  need  of  much  entreaty. 
He  consented  to  raise  the  siege  rather  than  occasion 
the  least  injury  to  his  allies ;  who  were  not  immod- 
erately surprised  at  his  excessive  complaisance,  as 
they  knew  the  real  cause  of  it. ' '  Thus  the  young 
King  of  Sweden,  relieved  entirely  from  one  of  the 
confederates,  and  having  defeated  the  object  and 
dispersed  the  army  of  the  second,  was  now  left  to 
prepare  a  force  to  oppose  the  designs  of  the  third ; 
whom,  though  by  far  the  most  powerful,  confident 
in  the  discipline  of  his  troops,  he  affected  to  de- 
spise. 


CHAPTER  YI. 

The  Battle  of  Narva — Peter's  Success  against  the  Swedes — 
History  of  Catharine. 

If  experience  in  the  art  of  war  and  success  in  mil- 
itary operations  are  to  be  the  test  of  an  able  gen- 
eral, Peter  had  as  yet  but  slender  claims  to  that 
title.  He  had  behaved  most  gallantly  at  the  siege 
of  Azof,  and  his  efforts  Avere  crowned  with  triumph ; 
but,  on  engaging  in  a  war  with  Sweden,  he  had  a 
far  other  enemy  to  encounter  than  Turks  or  Tar- 
tars. Charles,  it  is  true,  was  but  a  boy,  as  inex- 
perienced as  Peter  could  be  in  the  art  of  war :  but 
he  had  able  generals  and  a  well-disciplined  army, 
which  the  other  had  not ;  with  the  exception  of  a 
very  small  portion  of  either.  Charles  had,  besides, 
an  army  frequently  flushed  with  victory.  The  die, 
however,  was  cast,  and  Peter  lost  no  time  in  invad- 
ing Ingria  with  a  force  of  60,000  men,  the  march 
of  whom  was  preceded  by  a  manifesto,  which  did 
his  cause  no  good ;  as  the  chief  complaint  he  had  to 
make  therein  against  Sweden  was,  the  indignity  he 
conceived  to  have  been  put  upon  him  at  Riga,  and 
the  enormous  prices  which  his  ambassadors,  who 
were  then  traveling  with  him,  had  been  charged 
for  provisions  at  that  place.     Such  were  the  frivo- 

142 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  143 

lous  reasons  which  the  Czar  avowed  as  determining 
him  to  plunge  into  what,  nevertheless,  he,  no  doubt, 
considered  a  just  and  necessary  war  against  the 
young  King  of  Sweden. 

Peter's  first  hostile  operation  was  to  lay  siege  to 
]N'arva,  a  place  of  considerable  strength  on  the  river 
Narowa,  which  flowed  through  a  part  of  his  own 
dominions,  out  of  the  lake  Peipus  into  the  Baltic. 
The  first  division  took  up  their  ground  before  the 
place  on  the  20th  September,  and  the  siege  con- 
tinued to  the  19th  J^ovember, — on  which  day  the 
Russians  were  attacked,  and,  after  a  short  but  furi- 
ous conflict,  were  under  the  necessity  of  asking  for 
a  suspension  of  arms. 

On  the  preceding  day,  as  appears  from  the  Czar's 
own  journal,  or  history  of  his  campaigns,  Peter  had 
left  the  army  and  gone  to  Novogorod,  to  hasten 
some  regiments  which  were  on  their  march  to  join 
the  forces  before  IST arva ;  but  this,  it  would  appear, 
was  not  the  only  cause  of  his  departure  from  the 
camp.  It  was  necessary  he  should  have  an  inter- 
view with  the  King  of  Poland,  in  consequence  of 
his  having  raised  the  siege  of  Riga,  in  order  that 
they  might  deliberate  together  concerning  the  com- 
mon measures  most  expedient  to  be  pursued.  For 
this  purpose  he  took  with  him  the  Marshal  Count 
Golownin,  minister  of  foreign  affairs  (not  Menzikoff, 
as  Voltaire  says),  leaving  the  command  of  the  army 
with  the  Duke  De  Croi,  a  Flemish  oflicer,  and  the 
qommissary-general,  Prince  Dolgorouki, 


144  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Charles  lost  no  time  in  passing  over  about  9000 
men  into  Livonia ;  he  himself  marched  northward 
towards  Revel,  driving  from  the  neighborhood  of 
that  place  an  advanced  body  of  Russians.  On  ap- 
proaching I^arva,  he  found  the  Russian  army  in 
their  intrenchments,  lined  with  more  than  a  hundred 
and  forty  pieces  of  cannon,  and,  as  various  writers 
have  it,  mustering  from  eighty  to  a  hundred  thou- 
sand men.  Peter  himself,  however,  does  not  make 
them  amount  to  half  that  number;  and  General 
Gordon  says  that  the  whole  of  the  Czar's  army  did 
not  exceed  50,000  men,  of  whom  12,000  were  at 
Novogorod.  *  Whatever  the  aggregate  number  of  the 
Czar's  army  might  have  been,  it  consisted  chiefly  of 
the  old  Strelitzes  and  the  corps  of  twelve  thousand 
men  that  were  regularly  disciplined  under  Le  Fort ; 
the  rest  were  raw  recruits  and  serfs,  drawn  from  the 
woods  and  wilds,  clothed  in  skins,  and  armed  with 
clubs  and  pikes,  who  knew  not  the  use  of  firearms, 
and  had  never  seen  either  battle  or  siege,  f  General 
Gordon  (who  was  in  the  battle)  says,  ' '  Being  all 
new-raised  troops,  except  the  regiment  of  guards, 
which  was  of  a  piece  with  the  rest,  in  having  never 
been  engaged  before  with  disciplined  troops,  and  few 
good  officers  as  yet  among  them,  it  was  no  miracle 
to  see  an  army  of  inexperienced  raw  troops,  con- 
sisting of  about  thirty-four  thousand  men,  in- 
trenched, beat  by  a  body  of  about  nine  thousand 

*  Gordon's  Hist.    Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand, 
f  JohnMottley, 


IJFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I45 

veterans,  as  good  troops  and  as  well  commanded  as 
any  in  Europe,  with  so  resolute  a  prince  at  their 
head."* 

General  Gordon  considers  the  intrenched  position 
of  the  Kussians  as  having  been  the  source  of  a  fatal 
security  and  neglect.  Charles,  nothing  dismayed 
by  these  superior  numbers,  having  driven  in  all  the 
Kussian  outposts,  and  availing  himself  of  a  violent 
storm  of  wind  and  snow,  which  blew  directly  in  the 
face  of  the  enemy,  attacked  their  intrenchments  with 
his  few  pieces  of  cannon;  and,  falling  upon  the 
Russians  before  they  had  time  to  recover  them- 
selves, a  panic  seized  them,  which  diffused  itself 
throughout  the  whole  army.  Every  man  quitted  his 
post,  and  the  Swedes  had  nothing  more  to  do  than 
to  kill  and  destroy  a  mass  of  men  who  impeded  each 
other  in  their  endeavors  to  escape, — just  as  a  hand- 
ful of  English  troops,  in  storming  a  Burmese  stock- 
ade, crowded  with  the  enemy's  troops,  hacked  and 
slew  the  undisciplined  rabble  that  blocked  up  the 
only  passage  by  which  they  attempted  to  escape. 
Many  of  the  Russian  fugitives  threw  themselves  into 
the  river,  and  were  drowned;  others  flung  away 
their  arms  and  begged,  on  their  knees,  for  quarter. 
The  Duke  De  Croi,  General  AUard,  and  almost  all 
the  German  officers  in  the  service,  more  afraid  of 
their  own  mutinous  Russians  than  of  the  Swedes, 
surrendered  themselves  at  once  to  Count  Steinbok. 
All  their  artillery  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  King  of 

*  Gordon's  Hist,  of  Peter  the  Great. 
10 


146  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Sweden.  The  Czar,  in  his  journal,  says  it  was  sur- 
rendered by  convention,  in  which  it  was  stipulated 
that  six  regimental  pieces  were  to  be  kept — but  that 
the  Swedes  broke  faith,  and  did  not  restore  these. 
He  says,  also,  that  it  was  agreed  the  troops  were  to 
retire  with  their  arms  and  colors,  which  was  allowed 
to  the  division  of  General  Golownin, — but  that, 
when  the  division  of  General  Weyde  marched  off, 
the  Swedes  not  only  began  to  take  from  them  their 
muskets  and  colors,  but  stripped  them  of  their 
clothes.  The  officers,  sent  as  prisoners  to  Stock- 
holm were,  one  field-marshal,  and  six  generals, 
eight  colonels,  four  lieutenant-colonels,  six  majors, 
fourteen  captains,  besides  subalterns ;  and  two  gen- 
erals and  four  field  officers  of  the  Saxon  auxil- 
iaries. Peter  estimates  the  number  of  his  men 
killed  to  amount  from  5800  to  6000,  and  that  of  the 
Swedes,  by  report,  to  3000, — and  states  that  the 
number  of  his  troops  that  returned  to  Novogorod 
was  22,967. 

"  Thus,"  says  the  Czar,  "it  is  indisputable  that 
the  Swedes  obtained  a  victory  over  our  troops, 
which  as  yet  were  but  an  ill-disciplined  militia ;  for 
in  this  action  there  was  no  other  old  regiment  than 
that  which  is  called  Lefortowsky,  and  two  regiments 
of  guards,  who  had  only  been  at  the  two  sieges  of 
Azof,  who  had  never  seen  an  action  in  the  open 
field,  and  still  less  with  regular  troops.  It  is  not 
surprising,  therefore,  that  old,  exercised,  and  ex- 
perienced troops  should   have   had  the  advantage 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I47 

over  such  as  ours.  It  is  true,  notwithstanding, 
that  this  victory  caused  us  a  sensible  mortification, 
and  made  us  despair  of  more  favorable  success  in 
future;  it  was  even  regarded  as  a  mark  of  the 
extreme  wrath  of  God;  but,  in  diving  into  the 
views  of  Heaven,  one  sees  that  they  were  rather 
favorable  than  otherwise  to  us ;  for  if  we  had  then 
obtained  a  victory  over  the  Swedes,  being,  as  we 
were,  so  little  instructed  in  the  art  of  war  and  of 
policy,  into  what  an  abyss  might  not  this  good 
fortune  have  sunk  us !  On  the  contrary,  this  suc- 
cess of  the  Swedes  cost  them  very  dear  afterward  at 
Pultava,  although  they  possessed  so  much  skill  and 
reputation  that  the  French  called  them  the  scourge 
of  the  Germans.  We,  after  this  disastrous  check, — 
which  has  been  a  real  good  fortune  for  us, — have 
been  obliged  to  redouble  our  activity,  and  to  make 
the  utmost  efforts  to  supply,  by  our  circumspection, 
the  want  of  experience ;  and  it  is  thus  that  the  war 
has  been  continued,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  course  of 
this  history."* 

With  such  feelings  it  is  the  less  surprising  that  he 
bore  his  ill  success  with  calmness  and  resignation: 
so  far  was  he  from  being  dispirited  when  first  told 
of  the  decisive  victory  gained  by  the  Swedes,  that 
he  showed  a  philosophic  firmness  which  the  intre- 
pidity and  valor  of  Charles  XII.  himself  could  not 
have  surpassed.  ' '  I  know  very  well, ' '  said  he, 
''that  the  Swedes  will  have  the  advantage  of  us 
*  Joui'Dal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


148  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

for  a  considerable  time ;  but  they  will  teach  us  at 
length  to  beat  them. ' '  His  first  object  was  to  pre- 
vent Charles  from  following  up  the  blow ;  and  for 
this  purpose  he  despatched  forthwith  the  troops 
which  had  rendezvoused  at  I^ovogorod  to  Pscov, 
situated  on  the  lake  Peipus,  by  way  of  securing  that 
frontier  against  any  attempt  that  the  enemy  might 
make  to  invade  the  country.  He  then  repaired  to 
Moscow  with  his  two  regiments  of  guards,  and  issued 
immediate  orders  that  a  certain  proportion  of  the 
bells  of  the  churches  and  convents  of  all  the  cities  in 
the  empire  should  be  forthwith  cast  into  cannon  and 
mortars.  This  was  effected  in  the  course  of  the 
winter  accordingly,  and  one  hundred  pieces  of  can- 
non for  sieges,  and  one  hundred  and  forty-two  field- 
pieces,  with  twelve  mortars  and  thirteen  howitzers, 
were  ready  to  be  sent  off  to  l^ovogorod  in  the 
spring  of  1701.*  He  also  caused  six  infantry  regi- 
ments, of  one  thousand  men  each,  to  be  raised,  and 
several  regiments  of  dragoons,  which  were  to  be 
trained  and  disciplined  with  as  little  delay  as  pos- 
sible. 

Notwithstanding  the  inveteracy  of  the  clergy 
against  the  innovations  of  Peter,  which  they  consid- 
ered the  cause  of  his  defeat,  and  as  a  judgment  of 
God,  one  bishop  was  found  who  undertook  to  com- 
pose a  prayer,  addressed,  not  to  the  Deity,  but  to 
St.  Nicholas,  the  patron  of  Muscovy,  which  was 
read  in  all  the  churches.  In  this  prayer  the  bishop 
*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I49 

accuses  the  saint  of  having  abandoned  the  Kussians 
to  the  furious  and  terrible  Swedes,  who  were  de- 
nounced as  infidels  and  sorcerers.  This  singular 
document  is  too  illustrative  of  the  ignorance  and 
superstition  of  the  Muscovites  to  be  omitted.  It  is 
as  follows : — 

"  Oh  thou  who  art  our  perpetual  comforter,  in  all 
our  adversities,  great  St.  Nicholas !  infinitely  pow- 
erful, by  what  sin  have  we  offended  thee,  in  our 
sacrifices,  genuflexions,  reverence,  and  thanksgiv- 
iugs,  that  thou  hast  thus  forsaken  us  ?  We  have 
implored  thy  assistance  against  these  terrible,  inso- 
lent, enraged,  dreadful,  insuperable  destroyers,  when, 
like  lions  and  bears,  and  other  savage  beasts,  which 
have  lost  their  young,  they  have  attacked  us,  terri-, 
fied,  wounded,  slain  by  thousands,  us,  who  are  thy 
people.  But,  as  it  is  impossible  this  could  have 
happened  without  witchcraft  and  enchantment,  see- 
ing the  great  care  that  we  had  taken  to  fortify  our- 
selves in  an  inaccessible  manner,  for  the  defense  and 
security  of  thy  name;  we  beseech  thee,  O  great 
Nicholas !  to  be  our  champion  and  standard-bearer, 
to  be  with  us,  as  well  in  peace  as  in  war,  in  all  our 
necessities,  and  in  the  time  of  our  death ;  to  pro- 
tect us  against  this  terrible  and  tyrannical  crowd  of 
sorcerers,  and  drive  them  far  from  our  frontiers, 
with  the  reward  which  they  deserve. ' '  * 

The  Czar,  however,  disregarding  both  St.  Nicho- 
las and  the  priests,  pursued  steadily  the  course  he 
*  Nestesuranoi.    Voltaire,  &o. 


150  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

had  marked  out.     He  had  an  inter\dew  with  King 
Augustus  at  Birzen,  on  the  frontier  of  Courland,  for 
the  purpose  of  conlirming  that  prince  in  his  resolu- 
tion of  maintaining  the  war  against    Charles  XII. 
and  to  prevail  on  the  Polish  diet  to  engage  in  the 
quarrel.     However  disposed  Augustus  might  be  to 
continue  the  war,   he  could  not  be  unmindful   that 
the  King  of  Poland  was  but  the  head  of  the  republic 
and  that  it  was  necessary  he  should  treat  with  his 
subjects.     The  Poles  were  in  no  haste  to  enter  into 
the  quarrel ;  they  dreaded  any  infringement  on  their 
liberties   by   the   armies  of  the    Saxons,    and    they 
dreaded  also  the  quartering  of  the  Russians  in  their 
country ;  but  they  dreaded  still  more  the  displeas- 
ure of  Charles.     The  majority  of   the    diet   deter- 
mined,  therefore,   not  to  support  the  views  of  Au- 
gustus, in  whom  Peter  now  discovered  he  had  but  a 
weak  ally,  and  that  he  had  to  depend  solely  on  his 
own  resources.     General  Patkul,  of  whom  more  will 
be  said  hereafter,  had  been  the  life  and  soul  of  the 
conferences  at  Birzen,  and  he  exerted  all  his  zeal  in 
procuring  German  officers,  and  in  disciplining  the 
raw  recruits ;  he  was,  in  fact,  another  Le  Fort.     He 
took  care  that  all  who  entered  the  service,  whether 
officers  or  men,  should  be  well  provided  with  arms, 
clothes,  and  subsistence. 

The  Czar  next  proceeded  to  the  lake  Peipus,  on 
which,  in  the  course  of  the  year  1701,  he  had  built, 
and  fully  equipped,  a  fleet  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
galleys,  each  manned  with  fifty  men.     He  inspected 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  151 

in  his  own  person,  the  building,  equipping,  and  man- 
ning of  this  flotilla,  destined  to  prevent  the  Swed- 
ish vessels  on  this  side  of  the  lake  from  harassing 
the  province  of  Novogorod.  In  like  manner,  he  or- 
dered up  the  seamen  from  the  Don,  to  man  his  rising 
fleet,  on  the  lake  Ladoga.  In  the  midst  of  all 
these  preparations,  he  made  frequent  excursions  to 
Moscow,  to  see  that  the  progress  of  improvements 
and  his  new  regulations  were  not  neglected  or 
infringed.  "  Princes,"  says  Yoltaire,  "  who  have 
employed  their  peaceful  days  in  public  foundations, 
are  mentioned  in  history  with  honor;  but  that 
Peter,  just  after  the  unfortunate  battle  of  Narva, 
should  undertake  the  junction  of  the  Baltic,  Caspian, 
and  Euxine  seas,  is  what  crowns  him  with  more  real 
glory  than  he  could  ever  have  derived  from  the  most 
signal  victory. ' '  * 

It  has  always  been  a  subject  of  surprise  that,  after 
the  victory  of  Narva,  when  Charles  might  have  car- 
ried everything  before  him  in  Russia,  he  should 
have  directed  his  sole  attention  to  Poland,  treating 
the  former  as  if  unworthy  of  his  notice;  while 
Peter  was  left  at  full  liberty,  not  only  to  recruit  and 
discipline  a  new  army,  but  also  to  design  and  carry 
into  execution  many  great  and  important  improve- 
ments :  such  as  introducing  from  Saxony  flocks  of 
sheep,  and  shepherds  to  attend  them,  for  the  sake  of 
their  wool ;  erecting  linen  and  paper  manufactories ; 
building  hospitals;  inviting  from  abroad  braziers, 

*  History  of  the  Russian  Empire,  &c. 


152  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

blacksmiths,  armorers,  and  other  artisans  of  every 
description ;  and,  in  fact,  cultivating,  in  the  midst 
of  war,  all  the  arts  of  peace.  But  for  pursuits  of 
this  kind  Charles  XII.  himself  had  no  taste ;  he  ap- 
peared not  to  bestow  a  thought  either  on  the  wel- 
fare of  his  own  country,  or  on  the  proceedings  of 
Peter,  whom  he  left  unmolested  and  quite  at  his 
ease  during  the  whole  year  1702 ;  having  made  up 
his  mind  not  to  quit  Poland  until  he  had  driven  from 
the  throne  the  new^ly-elected  sovereign  and  ally  of 
the  Czar,  Augustus,  the  Elector  of  Saxony. 

The  Russian  army  was,  in  the  mean  time,  far 
from  being  idle;  on  the  contrary,  it  was  gaining 
experience  and  confidence  by  the  frequent  skirmishes 
the  several  detachments  had  with  the  Swedes, 
particularly  in  Ingria  and  Livonia.  Peter  himself 
was  moving  about  in  all  directions ;  one  week  he 
was  at  Pscov,  the  next  he  made  his  appearance  at 
Moscow,  and  the  third  at  Archangel,  to  which  place 
he  had  proceeded  on  a  report  that  the  Swedes  were 
intending  to  destroy  the  small  establishment  which 
w^as  kept  up  at  that  port.  On  coming  thither,  he 
drew  the  plan  of  a  new  fortress,  for  its  better  secu- 
rity, to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  the  New  Dwina, 
and  of  which  he  himself  laid  the  first  stone.  His 
General  Scherematof  succeeded  in  capturing  what 
is  called  a  Swedish  frigate,  on  the  lake  Peipus.  He 
was  also  successful  against  the  Swedes  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Dorpt,  or  Dorpat,  on  the  frontiers  of 
Livonia,  in  an  action  with  the  Major-general  Schlip- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I53 

penbach  in  which  the  Russians  took  a  great  number 
of  prisoners,  and  some  colors.  On  the  1st  of  Janu- 
ary, 1702,  this  officer  fell  in  with  the  main  body  of 
the  enemy,  near  a  village  named  Eresfort.  "As 
our  troops,"  says  the  Czar,  ''were  new,  and  but 
little  exercised,  and  our  artillery  had  not  arrived, 
the  enemy  threw  a  great  part  of  our  men  into  con- 
fusion, and  obliged  them  to  fall  back ;  but  on  being 
joined  by  our  artillery,  their  retreat  was  stopped ; 
our  men  being  again  formed  in  order  of  battle,  at- 
tacked with  so  much  vigor  that,  after  an  action  of 
four  hours,  the  Swedes  were  compelled  to  yield,  to 
abandon  their  artillery,  and  to  fly.  The  enemy 
lost  in  this  action  the  greater  part  of  his  troops,  as 
three  thousand  lay  dead  on  the  field  of  battle.  Of 
our  men  about  one  thousand  were  killed."  * 

In  consequence  of  this  important  success,  General 
Scherematof  was  made  field-marshal,  and  received 
the  order  of  St.  Andrew,  which  was  carried  to  him 
by  Menzikoff.  Thanks  were  publicly  returned  to 
God  for  this  victory,  and  salutes,  and  fireworks, 
and  other  rejoicings  took  place.  It  was  on  this  oc- 
casion that  Peter  observed,  ' '  Well,  we  have  at  last 
beaten  the  Swedes,  when  we  were  two  to  one 
against  them ;  we  shall,  by-and-by,  be  able  to  face 
them  man  to  man. ' ' 

On  the  17th  of  July,  the  marshal  was  again  en- 
gaged with  the  enemy,  near  the  village  of  Humo- 
lowa,  where  he  attacked  them  in  front  and  in  flank, 

♦Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


154  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

^«  and,"  says  the  Czar,  ''  with  the  assistance  of  God, 
we  compelled  them  to  fly  from  the  field  of  battle ; 
having  not  only  retaken  the  artillery,  the  colors, 
and  the  equipage,  which  they  had  taken  from  us, 
but  also  killed  so  many  of  them  that  the  few  re- 
mains of  the  cavalry  were  obliged  to  fly  towards  the 
city  of  Pernow.  The  marshal  having  left  behind 
the  infantry,  pursued  them  with  the  regiments  of 
dragoons ;  he  overtook  them  a  few  miles  from  the 
city,  and  routed  them  afresh.  On  this  occasion  we 
took  fifteen  pieces  of  cannon,  and  sixteen  colors, 
and  a  great  number  of  prisoners.  Our  loss  was  ten 
officers,  and  about  four  hundred  soldiers  killed. ' '  * 

After  this  second  decisive  action,  Marshal  Schere- 
matof  continued  his  march,  driving  from  their  posts 
the  small  parties  of  Swedes,  and  laying  the  whole 
country  under  contribution,  till  he  arrived  before 
Marienburg,  on  the  confines  of  Livonia  and  Ingria. 
This  small  town  is  situated  on  a  lake,  w^hich  it  was 
necessary  to  cross  on  floating  bridges,  to  enable  the 
besiegers  to  take  it  by  assault;  but  the  enemy 
agreed  to  capitulate,  on  condition  of  letting  the  in- 
habitants leave  the  place,  which  was  granted ;  and 
the  major  commanding,  with  two  captains,  came  to 
the  camp  to  give  up  the  place,  according  to  capitula- 
tion. In  the  meantime,  a  Captain  Woolf,  and  an 
ensign  of  artillery,  the  latter  dragging  his  wife  by 
force,  entered  the  powder  magazine  and  set  fire  to 
it,  by  which  numbers,  both  of  Russians  and  Swedes, 
*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I55 

were  blown  into  the  air.  In  consequence  of  this, 
the  whole  of  the  inhabitants,  being  very  few,  were 
made  prisoners,  and  the  town  was  utterly  destroyed. 
Among  the  prisoners  that  were  thus  taken  cap- 
tive was  one  so  intimately  connected  with  the  future 
fortunes  of  the  Czar — one  to  whom  he  was  so  much 
indebted  for  his  health  and  peace  of  mind,  and, 
probably,  for  his  life  and  throne,  as  to  have  en- 
titled her  to  that  esteem  and  gratitude  which  he 
owned,  and  never  ceased  to  feel,  to  the  end  of  his 
life.  The  oiScer  before  whom  the  prisoners  of  war 
were  to  file  off  was  General  Bauer,  a  man  of  great 
mildness  and  humanity,  who  had  risen  from  the 
ranks  to  his  present  station.  He  observed  among 
the  prisoners  who  passed  before  him  a  very  young 
girl,  with  tears  streaming  down  her  cheeks,  and 
apparently  in  the  greatest  distress.  There  was 
something  in  her  countenance  and  manner  which 
made  so  strong  an  impression  upon  him  as  to  create 
a  desire  to  know  her  history ;  and,  with  this  view, 
he  ordered  her  to  be  taken  care  of  till  he  had  time 
to  question  her.  Her  modest  deportment,  her  great 
diffidence,  and  her  whole  demeanor  pleased  him. 
He  assured  her  she  had  nothing  to  fear,  as  he  would 
take  care  she  should  be  well  treated.  Her  story 
was  simply  this : — She  was  born  at  Eingen,  a  small 
village  on  the  banks  of  a  lake  near  Dorpt,  in 
Livonia.  Her  mother  had  been  a  poor  woman,  sup- 
ported chiefly  by  Count  Eosen,  an  officer  in  the 
Swedish  service,  the  owner  of  the  village ;  but  she 


156  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

had  lost  her  mother  when  she  was  three  years  old, 
and  the  count  having  died  about  the  same  time, 
she  could  give  no  further  account  of  what  happened, 
except  that  she  was  taken  into  the  house  of  the 
clerk  of  the  village.  This  parish  clerk  kept  a 
school,  and  intended  to  instruct  her  with  the  rest  of 
the  children;  but  Doctor  Gluck,  the  Lutheran 
minister  of  Marienburg,  happening  one  day  to  come 
to  the  village,  and  observing  the  child,  took  a  great 
fancy  to  her,  and  on  learning  her  history,  asked  the 
clerk,  who  was  but  a  poor  man,  if  he  had  any  ob- 
jection to  part  with  her.  In  short,  he  took  her 
home  with  him,  and  treated  her  like  one  of  his  own 
young  family.  Here  she  made  herself  useful,  and 
soon  became  a  great  favorite.  She  employed  her- 
self in  the  usual  kind  of  work  required  in  a  family. 
At  first  she  knew  no  other  language  than  Livonian, 
which  is  a  dialect  of  the  Sclavonian,  but  at  M. 
Gluck' s  she  learned  the  German,  of  which  she  very 
soon  became  a  perfect  mistress. 

As  Martha,  for  so  it  appears  Catherine  was  then 
called,  advanced  in  years,  her  beauty  attracted 
many  admirers ;  and  one  in  particular,  a  Livonian 
sergeant  in  the  Swedish  army,  fell  passionately  in 
love  with  her;  but,  though  the  attachment  was 
mutual,  she  refused  to  marry  him  unless  he  obtained 
the  consent  of  M.  Gluck.  This  worthy  man,  whose 
circumstances  were  but  moderate,  thought  he  could 
not  do  better,  either  for  the  young  woman  or  for 
himself,  than  to  agree  to  the  sergeant's  proposal, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  157 

more  especially  as  his  family  was  known  to  be  re- 
spectable, as  he  had  a  small  property  of  his  own, 
and  was  in  a  fair  way  towards  preferment,  being  a 
sober  and  steady  man,  and  a  favorite  in  his  regi- 
ment. The  marriage  wsls  performed  by  M.  Gluck, 
and  the  following  day  Marienburg  surrendered,  as 
we  have  seen,  to  the  Eussians.  It  was  when  in 
extreme  grief  for  the  loss  of  her  husband,  who,  as 
he  was  never  heard  of  afterward,  must  be  supposed 
to  have  perished  on  that  day,  that  General  Bauer 
saw  her :  he  was  moved  with  compassion,  and  at 
the  same  time,  no  doubt,  with  a  stronger  feeling; 
and,  smitten  with  her  beauty,  took  her  to  his 
house,  where  he  appointed  her  to  superintend  his 
domestic  affairs.  M.  Wurmb,  who  was  tutor  in  M. 
Gluck' s  family,  assured  M.  Weber,  the  Hanoverian 
minister  at  St.  Petersburg,  that  during  her  residence 
at  Marienburg  she  was  a  pattern  of  virtue  and  good 
conduct ;  and  while  with  the  general,  she  was  greatly 
beloved  by  all  his  domestics,  over  whom  she  was 
placed. 

One  day  Menzikoff  happened  to  call  at  the  gen- 
eral's house,  and  seeing  Martha,  was  struck  with 
her  beauty  and  manner,  and,  having  learned  her 
history,  asked  the  general  if  he  would  part  with 
her,  as  he  was  very  much  in  want  of  such  a  person 
to  superintend  the  female  part  of  his  establishment. 
The  general  would  willingly  have  refused ;  but  as  he 
was  indebted  for  his  rise  in  some  manner  to  the  prince, 
and  owed  him,  on  that  account,  a  debt  of  gratitude, 


158  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

he  called  the  young  woman  before  them,  and  asked 
her  if  she  had  any  objection  to  enter  the  service  of 
Prince  Menzikoff,  who  would  have  it  in  his  power 
to  be  of  more  use  to  her  than  he  could  possibly  be, 
adding  that  he  had  too  much  regard  for  her  future 
welfare  to  stand  in  the  way  of  what  was  likely  to 
lead  to  her  advantage.  Martha  make  a  profound 
courtesy,  and  retired  without  speaking  a  word,  and 
the  next  day  saw  her  in  the  palace  of  Menzikoff . 
Gordon,  who,  however,  was  then  a  prisoner  at 
Stockholm,  says  that  Menzikoff  took  her  home  and 
presented  her  to  his  princess.  She  continued  to 
make  her  home  in  the  family  of  this  prince  till  the 
year  1704,  when  in  the  seventeenth  year  of  her  age, 
she  became  attached  to  Peter,  and  won  so  much 
upon  his  affections,  that  he,  first  privately,  and 
afterward  publicly,  married  her. 

Such  was  the  rise  of  this  extraordinary  woman, 
who,  after  the  death  of  Peter,  succeeded  to  the 
throne  of  Russia.  ' '  There  have  been  instances, ' ' 
says  Voltaire,  ' '  before  this,  of  private  persons  be- 
ing raised  to  the  throne ;  nothing  was  more  common 
in  Russia,  and  in  all  the  Asiatic  kingdoms,  than 
marriages  between  sovereigns  and  their  subjects; 
but  that  a  poor  stranger,  who  had  been  discovered 
amid  the  ruins  of  a  plundered  town,  should  become 
the  absolute  sovereign  of  that  very  empire  into 
which  she  was  led  captive,  is  an  incident  which  for- 
tune and  merit  have  never  before  produced  in  the 
annals  of  the  world." 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I59 

The  arms  of  the  Czar,  in  the  course  of  this  cam- 
paign of  1702,  were  equally  successful  in  Ingria  as 
in  Livonia.  His  galleys  on  the  lake  Ladoga  drove 
those  of  the  Swedes  to  take  shelter  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  lake.  From  the  lower  extremity  of  this 
fine  sheet  of  water  issues  the  river  IS'eva,  whose 
branches,  now  flowing  through  the  noble  city  of 
St.  Petersburg,  which  then  had  no  existence,  re- 
unite and  are  discharged  into  the  Baltic.  The  im- 
portance of  such  a  communication  could  not  pass 
unobserved  by  the  Czar.  Near  the  exit  of  this 
river,  on  an  island  of  the  lake,  was  situated  the 
strong  fortified  town  of  Kotteburg,  which  Peter  was 
determined  to  wrest,  if  possible,  from  the  Swedes; 
and  for  this  purpose  the  siege  of  it  was  ordered  to 
be  undertaken  by  the  Field-marshal  Scherematof. 
Peter  himself,  as  captain  .  of  the  Preobazinki's 
guards,  with  the  princes  Repnin,  Galitzin,  and  Men- 
zikoff ,  the  last  then  only  a  lieutenant,  was  present 
at  the  siege,  which  lasted  from  the  18th  September 
to  the  12th  October,  when  three  several  breaches 
being  made,  the  place  was  carried  by  assault.  A 
prodigious  quantity  of  stores  and  ammunition  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  Russians.  "  The  same  day," 
says  the  Czar,  ' '  the  marshal  and  the  generals  went 
into  the  town,  after  returning  thanks  to  God;  and 
having  fired  three  volleys  of  cannon  and  musketry, 
they  changed  the  name  of  the  fortress,  and  gave  it 
that  of  Schltlsselburg : "  *  "  because, ' '  he  adds,  ' '  it  is 

*  i.  e.  Key-town. 


160  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

by  this  Itey  that  the  gates  of  the  enemy's  country 
are  opened  to  ns,  and  this  name,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  is  effectually  secured  to  it." 

Honors,  and  promotions,  and  rewards  were 
largely  distributed.  Menzikoff,  lieutenant  of  bom- 
bardiers, was  appointed  governor  of  Schliisselburg. 
Prince  Galitzin,  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  guards, 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  colonel ;  the  rest  of  the 
officers  were  gratified  in  one  way  or  another,  most- 
ly with  gold  medals ;  and  rewards  were  also  distrib- 
uted to  all  the  common  soldiers;  but  Peter  him- 
self took  no  promotion,  though  he  had  been  captain 
of  a  storming  party,  and  actually  mounted  one  of  the 
breaches.  On  the  6th  December  he  niade  his  tri- 
umphal entry  into  Moscow,  and  the  prisoners,  their 
colors,  their  cannon,  and  twenty  wagon -loads  of 
ammunition  and  stores,  taken  from  the  enemy,  were 
marched  in  the  procession,  passing  through  three 
triumphal  arches.  His  majesty,  on  entering  the 
city,  was  harangued  by  the  clergy  and  the  chief 
authorities,  and  greeted  with  the  discharge  of  artil- 
lery and  the  ringing  of  bells ;  and  the  day  was  cel- 
ebrated with  every  demonstration  of  joy.  The 
Czar  himself  was  known  to  have  no  taste  for  these 
kmd  of  exhibitions,  but  he  thought  them  necessary, 
not  only  to  inspire  his  new  troops  with  a  noble  em- 
ulation, but  also  to  give  confidence  by  his  successes 
to  his  subjects, — a  large  portion  of  whom,  judging 
from  former  reverses,  were  averse  to  the  war  in 
which  he  had  involved  the  country. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  161 

In  the  course  of  this  year  the  Patriarch  Adrian 
died ;  and  as  these  dignitaries  of  the  church  had,  at 
all  times,  not  only  interfered  with  the  temporal  con- 
cerns of  the  Czars,  but  assumed  a  superior  and  inde- 
pendent authority,  and  even  arrogated  to  themselves 
the  power  of  life  and  death,  Peter  determined  to 
abolish  the  office  altogether,  letting  it  to  be  under- 
stood that  Ke  was  to  be  considered  as  the  head  of 
the  church ;  having  profited,  perhaps,  by  the  lessons 
he  received  from  Bishop  Burnet.  At  the  same  time 
he  appointed  the  metropolitan  of  Rezan  to  take  upon 
himself  the  chief  administration  of  ecclesiastical  af- 
fairs, until  a  regular  synod  should  be  established, 
which,  however,  did  not  take  place  till  the  year 
1721.  At  that  synod,  when  Peter  was  presiding, 
a  petition  was  read  from  some  of  the  superior  clergy, 
which  contained  the  names  of  several  members  of 
the  synod,  praying  him  to  appoint  a  patriarch.  The 
secretary  having  finished  the  reading,  Peter  rose  up, 
struck  his  breast  with  great  violence,  and  called  out 
vehemently,  ' '  Here  is  your  patriarch, ' '  and  im- 
mediately left  the  meeting.  The  Czar's  private 
secretary,  who  was  present,  told  Staehlin  that  Peter 
smote  his  breast  with  one  hand,  and  drew  his  hanger 
with  the  other,  and  striking  the  table  with  the  flat 
of  it,  called  out,   ''Here  is  your  patriarch."* 

It  was  not  consistent  with  the  character  of  Peter 
to  pay  that  homage  to  any  one  which,  in  his  estima- 

*  staehlin  :  authority  Great-chancellor  Bestouchef  and  Sec- 
retary Tcherkassof, 
\\ 


162  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

tion,  was  due  only  to  God  an4  St.  Nicholas ;  to 
submit  to  walk  on  foot,  in  a  procession,  leading  by 
the  bridle  the  horse  or  the  ass  on  which  an  insolent 
and  arrogant  priest  was  seated ;  or  to  suffer  an}^  in- 
dividual, except  himself,  to  pronounce  sentence  of 
death,  or  inflict  the  punishment  of  the  rack  or  the 
wheel,  as  was  done,  and  without  appeal,  by  the  ec- 
clesiastical tribunal.  The  monks  and  the  priests 
were  of  course  dissatisfied  with  the  loss  of  the 
patriarch.  They  libeled  the  Czar,  and  ridiculed  his 
innovations  through  the  very  press  which  he  had 
himself  been  the  means  of  introducing.  One  priest 
declared  him  to  be  antichrist,  as  no  evil  being  of 
less  power  could  have  dared  to  abolish  the  holy 
office ;  but  another  contended  that  the  Czar  could 
not  be  antichrist,  because  the  number  Q6Q  was  not 
in  his  name,  neither  had  he  the  sign  of  the  beast. 
Peter,  as  it  would  appear,  paid  very  little  attention 
to  these  idle  disputes ;  though  Yoltaire  in  his  his- 
tory of  Charles  the  Twelfth,  sa^^s,  "  the  author  of 
the  libel  was  racked  on  the  wheel,  and  the  respon- 
dent made  bishop  of  Eezan. ' ' 

Abating  the  displeasure  which  the  clergy  felt  at 
the  abolition  of  the  office  of  ]Datriarch,  the  Czar 
omitted  nothing,  during  his  short  stay  at  Moscow, 
that  he  conceived  might  afford  amusement  to  the 
people,  and  keep  them  in  good-humor;  rightly 
judging  this  to  be  the  readiest  way  to  facilitate  the 
progress  of  his  new  regulations.  He  ventured,  how- 
ever, on  a  bold  experiment.     By  making  their  old 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  163 

customs  appear  ridiculous,  he  hoped  to  induce  his 
subjects  to  think  lightly  of  their  loss.  With  this 
view,  he  gave  a  grand  entertainment,  at  which  all 
the  guests  were  ordered  to  be  dressed  in  the  ancient 
costume  of  Muscovy.  At  the  same  time  one  of  his 
fools  was  to  be  married,  by  which  he  would  have 
an  opportunity  of  exhibiting  to  the  guests  how  very 
absurd  the  ancient  customs  were  on  such  occasions ; 
one  of  which  forbade  any  fire  being  lighted  on  a 
wedding-day,  even  in  the  depth  of  winter,  which  it 
now  was,  the  warmth  of  the  affection  of  the  new- 
married  couple  being  thought  sufficient  without  any 
other  fuel.  He  prohibited  the  use  of  wine  to  his 
guests,  and  made  them  drink  mead  and  brandy ; 
telling  them,  in  a  jocular  manner,  ' '  Your  ancestors 
did  so ;  and  surely  ancient  customs  are  always  the 
best  to  be  observed. ' '  The  report  of  this  entertain- 
ment, being  spread  over  Moscow,  gave  great  amuse- 
ment to  the  people,  who  observed  to  one  another, 
what  a  comical  man  their  Czar  was. 

Since  Peter's  return  from  his  travels,  he  had  not 
only  become  much  more  social,  but  had  lost  his  for- 
mer shyness  and  dislike  to  mix  in  large  societies ; 
he  now  visited,  in  a  familiar  way,  the  most  respect- 
able merchants'  families,  and  explained  to  them  his 
views  for  improving  the  trade  of  the  country.  One 
day,  when  dining  with  a  foreign  merchant,  he  was 
so  much  taken  with  the  beauty  and  manners  of  his 
daughter,  that  he  made  proposals  to  the  father  that 
she  should  live  at  his   court,  on   what  terms   is  not 


164:       LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

mentioned.  The  story  is  romantic,  but  the  truth  of 
it  well  vouched.  This  virtuous  young  lady  rejected, 
with  indignation,  the  offer;  but,  dreading  what 
might  be  the  effect  of  a  refusal  on  the  all-powerful 
autocrat,  she  took  the  resolution  of  leaving  Moscow 
that  very  night,  without  communicating  her  design 
even  to  her  parents.  Having  provided  herself  with 
a  little  money,  she  repaired  on  foot  to  a  small  vil- 
lage, several  miles  off,  where  her  old  nurse  lived, 
with  her  husband  and  their  daughter — told  her 
story,  and  entreated  them  to  conceal  her  from  any 
pursuit  that  might  be  made.  There  was  a  wood 
near  the  village,  into  which  she  insisted  on  proceed- 
ing that  very  night.  The  husband  being  a  wood- 
cutter by  trade,  conducted  her  to  a  little  dry  island 
in  the  midst  of  a  morass,  where  he  constructed  a 
log-hut  for  her  habitation,  and  here  she  remained 
for  more  than  twelve  months,  her  nurse  providing 
little  necessaries  for  her  support,  which  were  care- 
fully conveyed  to  her  by  one  of  the  three,  and 
either  the  mother  or  the  daughter  attending  her  by 
night. 

The  Czar,  calling  at  the  house  of  the  merchant 
the  next  day,  and  learning  what  had  happened,  flew 
into  a  great  rage,  and  threatened  him  with  the  effect 
of  his  utmost  displeasure,  if  his  daughter  was  not 
immediately  produced.  Both  father  and  mother 
protested  most  solemnly,  with  tears  of  grief  for  the 
loss  of  their  child,  that  they  were  alike  ignorant  as 
innocent  of  what  had  occurred,  and  expressed  their 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  165 

fears,  as  nothing  belonging  to  her  was  missing,  that 
some  dreadful  disaster  had  befallen  her.  The  Czar 
was  at  length  satisfied ;  rewards  were  publicly  ad- 
vertised for  her  recovery,  but  to  no  purpose ;  and 
the  parents  and  relations  went  into  mourning, 
considering  she  was  no  more. 

It  happened  that  a  colonel  in  the  army  was  shoot- 
ing in  the  wood  where  the  young  lady  was  concealed, 
and,  following  his  game,  came  upon  the  hut,  and 
saw  a  young  and  beautiful  girl  in  a  peasant's  dress. 
He  soon  discovered  by  her  conversation  that  she 
was  not  the  person  she  appeared  to  be,  and  a  sus- 
picion crossed  his  mind  that  she  might  be  the  lost 
lady,  whose  disappearance  had  made  so  great  a 
noise.  In  the  utmost  confusion  and  distress,  she 
entreated  him,  on  her  knees,  not  to  betray  her.  He 
told  her  that  all  danger  was  now  past,  the  Czar  was 
then  otherwise  engaged,  and  that  she  might  with 
safety  discover  herself,  at  least,  to  her  parents.  It 
will  readily  be  supposed  that  an  interesting  adven- 
ture of  this  kind,  between  two  young  persons,  laid 
the  seeds  of  a  mutual  attachment.  The  colonel  pro- 
ceeded to  make  the  happy  discovery  to  her  friends, 
who,  however,  had  still  their  apprehensions  of  the 
Czar' s  anger.  The  colonel  proposed  to  lay  the  whole 
story  before  Catharine,  whose  influence  over  Peter 
was  already  known ;  he  waited  on  her,  who  agreed 
to  introduce  him,  the  following  morning,  to  the 
Czar ;  and,  in  the  mean  time,  she  put  him  in  posses- 
sion of  the  young  lady's  unfortunate  case,  and  qj 


166  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

the  sufferings  she  must  have  undergone  in  so  dismal 
a  place.  The  Czar  showed  a  great  deal  of  contrition, 
and  declared  himself  ready  to  make  all  the  amends 
in  his  power.  Catharine,  who  probably  was  better 
acquainted  with  human  nature  than  the  Czar,  sug- 
gested that  the  best  amends  his  majesty  could  make 
was  to  give  the  lady  a  handsome  fortune,  and  the 
colonel  for  a  husband.  Peter  at  once  agreed,  and 
took  upon  himself  the  direction  and  expense  of  the 
marriage,  and  gave  away  the  bride,  saying,  he  was 
happy  to  present  him  with  one  of  the  most  virtuous 
of  women ;  he  also  made  the  colonel  a  present,  be- 
sides settling  on  her  a  pension  of  three  thousand 
rubles  a  year.  Captain  Bruce  says,  ' '  I  had  this 
her  story  from  her  own  mouth.'' ^"^ 

Mrs.  Yigors,  in  one  of  her  letters  to  a  friend  in 
England,  thus  relates  the  circumstance  of  the  break- 
ing of  his  attachment  with  one  Mademoiselle 
Moens : 

"  I  have  been  visited  by  several  of  Mr.  W 's  f 

old  acquaintance,  one  of  whom  was  a  courtier  in 
your  hero's  time.  She  is  a  sensible  Avoman,  and 
entertains  me  with  many  of  his  private  adventures. 
The  following  one  I  will  relate,  though  long,  as  I 
think  it  shows  he  was  not  so  savage  as  some  have 
represented  him.  He  had  a  violent  passion  for  an 
officer's  daughter,  named  Munce  (Moens),  and  used 
more  assiduous  means  to  gain  her  than  monarchs 

*  Mem.  of  P.  H.  Bruce,  Esq. 

\  Mr.  Ward,  her  former  husband. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  167 

generally  are  forced  to ;  at  last  she  yielded,  and  be- 
came his  public  mistress,  and  for  many  years  he 
loved  her  with  a  fondness  rarely  found.  One  fatal 
day  he  went  to  see  a  castle  he  had  built  in  the  sea, 
attended  by  his  own  and  foreign  ministers.  At 
their  return,  the  Polish  minister,  by  some  accident, 
fell  over  the  drawbridge  and  was  drowned,  notwith- 
standing all  endeavors  to  save  him.  The  emperor 
ordered  all  the  papers  in  his  pockets  to  be  taken  out 
and  sealed  up,  before  all  the  company.  On  search- 
ing his  pockets,  a  picture  dropped,  which  the  em- 
peror took  up,  and  judge  his  surprise  when  he  found 
it  was  the  portrait  of  the  lady.  In  a  sudden  gust  of 
passion  he  tore  open  some  of  the  papers,  and  found 
several  letters  from  her  to  the  deceased  in  the  ten- 
derest  style.  He  left  the  company  that  instant, 
came  alone  to  the  apartment  of  my  informant,  and 
ordered  her  to  send  for  the  lady  thither :  when  she 
entered,  he  locked  the  door  on  them  three,  and 
asked  her  how  she  came  to  write  to  such  a  person? 
She  denied  she  had ;  he  then  produced  the  picture 
and  letters,  and  when  he  told  her  of  his  death,  she 
burst  into  tears,  while  he  reproached  her  with  in- 
gratitude in  such  a  storm  of  passion,  that  my  author 
expected  to  see  her  murdered ;  but  on  a  sudden,  he 
also  melted  into  tears,  and  said  he  forgave  her, 
since  he  so  severely  felt  how  impossible  it  was  to 
conquer  inclination ;  '  for, '  he  added,  '  notwith- 
standing you  have  returned  my  fondness  with  false- 
hood, I  find  I  cannot  hate  you,  though  I  do  myself 


168  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

for  the  meanness  of  spirit  I  am  guilty  of ;  but  it 
would  be  quite  despicable  in  me  to  continue  to  live 
with  you ;  therefore  begone,  while  I  can  keep  my 
passion  within  the  bounds  of  humanity.  You  shall 
never  want,  but  I  will  never  see  you  more. '  He 
kept  his  word,  and  soon  after  married  her  to  one 
who  had  an  employment  at  a  distance,  and  was 
always  kind  to  them  in  point  of  fortune. ' '  ^ 

Mrs.  Yigors  is  right.  Peter  was  not  such  a 
' '  savage  as  some  have  represented  him. ' '  From 
the  silence  of  his  biographers,  it  may  be  inferred 
that  this  was  the  last  of  his  youthful  indiscretions, 
for  had  more  existed,  they  would  have  been 
blazoned  forth  in  every  variety  of  shape ;  the  whole 
course  of  his  life  being  minutely  watched  by  the 
foreign  residents,  their  secretaries  and  clerks,  and 
reported  to  their  employers — 

" all  his  faults  observed, 


Set  in  a  note-book,  learned  and  conned  by  rote." 

It  seems,  indeed,  to  have  been  the  general  belief, 
that  his  attachment  to  the  fair  sex  was  hencefor- 
ward confined  solely  to  Catharine,  whose  good  con- 
duct, affection,  and  unremitting  attention  fully  en- 
titled her  to  his  undivided  confidence,  love,  and 
esteem. 

*  Letters  from  a  lady  who  resided  some  years  in  Russia. 


CHAPTEE  YII. 

Continued  Successes  over  the  Swedes — Peter  lays  the  Founda- 
tion of  St.  Petersburg— His  Saxon  Ally  deprived  of  the 
Crown  of  Poland— Takes  Dorpt,  and  Narva,  and  Mittau — 
Augustus  makes  Peace  with  Charles — Disgraceful  Conduct 
of  the  former — Seizure  and  inhuman  Death  of  Patkul — 
Masterly  Maneuver  of  Peter — Position  of  the  Russian  and 
Swedish  Armies. 

The  presence  of  the  Czar  was  soon  deemed  neces- 
sary on  the  northeastern  frontier  of  Sweden.  He 
first  hastened  to  Olonetz,  where  he  had  established 
a  dockyard,  and  a  manufactory  of  small-arms. 
This  place,  situated  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Ladoga, 
was  a  spot  of  great  importance  for  his  future  opera- 
tions in  that  quarter.  Near  this  lake,  and  not  far 
from  the  Neva,  was  situated  another  important 
fortress,  held  by  the  Swedes,  to  which  he  laid  siege 
both  by  land  and  water;  and  it  surrendered  to 
Scherematof  immediately  after  the  capture  of  two 
Swedish  vessels,  that  should  have  come  to  its  relief, 
but  which  Avere  both  taken  by  the  Czar  in  person, 
who  had  assumed  the  command  of  the  boats  on  the 
lake.  On  this  occasion,  as  captain  of  bombardiers, 
he  received  the  Order  of  St.  Andrew  as  a  reward 
for  his  gallant  conduct.  In  his  journal  he  modestly 
observes,  '^  On  the  30th  May,  we  returned  thanks 

169 


170  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

to  God  for  this  naval  victory,  being  the  first ;  and, 
after  this,  those  who  had  held  commands  on  this 
service,  namely,  the  captain  of  bombardiers,  and  the 
Lieutenant  Menzikoff,  received  the  Order  of  St. 
Andrew,  conferred  on  them  by  the  Admiral  Count 
de  Golownin,  the  most  ancient  knight  of  that 
Order."* 

It  was  the  great  importance  which  the  Czar  at- 
tached to  the  expulsion  of  the  enemy  from  the  two 
shores  of  the  Neva,  and  the  occupation  or  destruc- 
tion of  all  the  Swedish  posts  which  they  held  in 
CareHa  and  Iiigria,  that  had  hastened  his  departure 
from  Moscow.  In  the  mean  time,  Menzikoff  had 
not  been  idle.  Having  proceeded  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Neva,  he  obtained  some  success  over  the  Swed- 
ish gunboats  that  were  hovering  in  that  quarter ;  at 
the  same  time  Peter  advanced  against  a  Swedish 
fortress  named  Nianshantz,  or,  as  he  calls  it,  Kantzi, 
on  the  Carelian  side  of  the  Neva,  near  to  the  spot 
where  Petersburg  now  stands.  The  Czar,  having 
made  himself  master  of  this  fortress,  called  a  coun- 
cil of  war,  in  order  to  have  its  opinion,  before  he 
determined  whether  they  should  strengthen  the 
fortifications  of  this  new  conquest,  or  look  out  for 
another  position  more  spacious  and  less  distant  from 
the  sea,  the  latter  idea  was  adopted,  and,  after  some 
days,  they  fixed  upon  a  spot  on  an  island  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Neva,  called  Lust  Eland^  or  Pleasure 
Island,  where,  on  the  16th  May,  they  laid  the 
*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


LIB^E  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I7I 

foundation  of  a  new  fortress.  Here,  in  fact,  the 
Neva  divided  itself  into  four  or  five  branches,  form- 
ing a  flat  delta  of  islands,  covered  with  brushwood 
and  swamps,  on  which  were  a  few  miserable  huts 
of  some  poor  fishermen.  The  fortress  thus  founded 
was  named  St.  Petersburg ;  and  from  this  beginning 
has  risen  up  in  the  course  of  a  hundred  and  thirty 
years,  one  of  the  most  magnificent  cities  in  the 
world. 

A  few  months  after  this,  Menzikoff  was  sent 
down  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  to  fix  upon  a 
spot  on  which  to  erect  a  fortress  for  the  protection 
of  the  entrance.  A  low  sandy  island,  close  to  that 
called  Retusari,  which  commanded  the  deep  and 
narrow  channel  of  the  N^eva,  appeared  to  him  in 
every  respect  suitable  for  the  purpose;  and  his 
majesty,  having  examined  and  approved  the  position, 
named  a  day  to  go  down  and  lay  the  foundation  of 
a  fort,  which  should  command  and  protect  the 
channel,  and  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Cron- 
slot,  and  the  town  and  buildings  which  subsequently 
arose  on  the  adjacent  island,  and,  indeed,  the  first 
fortress,  received  the  name  they  now  bear  of  Cron- 
stadt.  The  model  of  the  fortress  was  made  by  the 
Czar  himself,  in  wood,  and  he  left  Menzikoff  to 
carry  it  into  execution.  He  then  returned  to  super- 
intend the  works  carrying  on  at  his  projected  new 
city  of  St.  Petersburg,  taking  up  his  lodging  in  a 
small  wooden  house,  which  he  caused  to  be  erected 
for  himself,  and  which  is  still  preserved  by  a  sur- 


172  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

rounding  wall,  as  a  memorial  of  this  extraordinary 
man. 

In  erecting  the  fortress  of  St.  Petersburg,  he 
availed  himself  of  the  ruins  of  the  works  at  Nian- 
shantz,  which  served  for  the  foundation  stones. 
This  citadel  was  situated  nearly  about  the  center  of 
the  intended  city,  and  occupied  the  spot  which  is 
now  the  Academy  of  Sciences.  The  command  of  it 
was  given  to  Yassali  Demetrievitz,  and  hence  it 
took,  and  still  retains,  the  name  of  Yassali  na  Ost- 
rof — ''Yassali  upon  the  island."  The  whole  sur- 
rounding country  Avas  a  morass,  in  which  not  a  stone 
of  any  description  could  be  found, — the  people  em- 
ployed had  little  or  no  experience, — according  to 
Captain  Perry,  the  laborers  were  not  furnished  with 
the  necessary  tools,  such  as  pick-axes,  spades, 
shovels,  planks,  and  the  like :  ' '  Notwithstanding 
which, ' '  the  same  author  observes,  ' '  the  work  went 
on  with  such  expedition,  that  it  was  surprising  to 
see  the  fortress  raised  within  less  than  five  months, 
though  the  earth,  which  is  very  scarce  thereabouts, 
was,  for  the  greater  part,  carried  by  the  laborers  in 
the  skirts  of  their  clothes,  and  in  bags  made  of  rags 
and  old  mats,  the  use  of  wheelbarrows  being  then 
unknown  to  them."  ^"  Under  such  untoward  cir- 
cumstances, in  such  a  country,  and  amid  such  diffi- 
culties, it  is  indeed  surprising  that  a  town  should  have 
arisen,  in  the  course  of  a  twelvemonth,  said  then 
to  contain  houses  and  huts,  of  one  description  or 
*  Perry, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I73 

another,  amounting  to  the  number  of  thirty  thou- 
sand. * 

Peter,  however,  was  a  man  not  to  be  diverted 
from  his  purpose  by  difficulties ;  nor  was  he  deterred 
from  the  attempt  to  make  up,  by  sheer  human 
labor,  what  might  be  wanting  in  skill  and  imple- 
ments. For  this  purpose  he  collected  together  many 
thousand  persons,  from  all  parts  of  the  empire, — 
Kussians,  Cossacks,  Tartars,  Calmucks,  Finlanders, 
and  Ingrians,  these  people  he  employed  in  deepen- 
ing the  channels  of  the  several  branches,  digging 
canals,  and  heaping  up  the  earth,  in  order  to  raise 
the  general  level  of  the  islands,  which  were  so  low 
as  to  be  frequently  overflowed.  This  severe  labor, 
without  shelter  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
in  a  climate  of  sixty  degrees  of  latitude,  with  scanty 
fare  of  the  worst  kind,  and  frequently  without  any 
for  a  day  or  two  together,  caused  such  a  mortality 
among  them,  that  it  is  asserted  not  less  than  a  hun- 
dred thousand  men  perished  in  the  course  of  the 
first  year. 

Though  Peter,  as  has  been  seen,  had  no  great 
affection  for  the  priesthood,  he  always  paid  a  high 
regard  to  religious  duties,  and  constantly  attended 
divine  service,  wherever  he  was  resident  and  the 
means  were  afforded,  without  regarding  what  the 
particular  tenets  of  the  community  were.  One  of 
the  first  buildings,  after  the  citadel,  was  a  church ; 
and  he  ordered  a  proper  number  of  priests  to  be 

•  *  Mottley.    Nestesuranoi, 


171  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

sent  from  Moscow,  to  perform  the  duties  of  their 
office.  Pie  directed,  also,  several  merchants  and 
tradespeople  to  repair  to  his  new  city,  and  exercise 
there  their  several  trades  and  professions.  The  next 
public  building  erected,  was  a  large  hotel  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  foreign  ministers;  and,  as 
Menzikoff  undertook  the  management  of  the  Czar's 
public  entertainments,  a  large  house  was  among  the 
first  to  be  constructed,  to  enable  him  to  receive  his 
sovereign's  guests.  In  the  mean  time,  the  officers 
and  private  individuals  Avere  engaged  in  erecting 
houses,  shops,  and  warehouses,  all  of  wood,  so  that 
St.  Petersburg  soon  exhibited  the  appearance  of  a 
large  and  respectable  town. 

Matters,  however,  did  not  go  on  smoothly. 
Those  who  had  been  forced  to  a  residence  among 
the  swampy  islands  of  the  J^eva,  as  well  as  the  nu- 
merous workmen,  who  had  suffered  dreadfully  from 
disease  and  privations  of  every  kind,  at  length  be- 
came clamorous,  gave  vent  to  their  murmurings, 
and  a  general  dissatisfaction  manifested  itself  in  a 
singular  manner.  Peter  was  absent  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Ladoga,  having  left  Count  Golofkin  to 
superintend  the  works.  One  day  the  people  set  off 
in  crowds  to  the  church.  The  count  repaired 
thither,  but  the  crowd  was  so  dense  that  he  was 
obliged  to  return.  He  was  told  that  the  image  of 
the  blessed  Virgin  had  shed  tears,  to  show  the  peo- 
ple her  affliction  for  their  sufferings,  and  at  being 
obliged  to  remain  and  witness  them  in  that  inhospi- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  175 

table  part  of  the  country.  With  such  an  omen  be- 
fore their  eyes,  they  stated  their  conviction  that 
some  dreadful  convulsion  threatened  the  new  estab- 
lishment. Golof kin  thought  this  story,  ridiculous  as 
it  was,  of  sufficient  importance  to  authorize  him  to 
send  off  an  express  for  the  Czar,  who  made  his  ap- 
pearance the  following  day ;  proceeded  immediately 
to  the  church ;  summoned  the  people  to  attend ;  and 
ordered  the  priests  to  show  him  the  miraculous  signs 
exhibited  by  the  holy  Virgin.  Having  examined  it 
attentively,  and  perceiving  something  oozing  out  of 
the  eyes,  he  ordered  one  of  the  priests  to  take  down 
the  image ;  when,  stripping  off  the  covering  behind, 
he  discovered  a  small  cavity  close  to  the  eyes,  in 
which  was  deposited  a  little  oil,  that  gradually  oozed 
out,  and  trickled  down  her  cheeks ;  and,  having  ex- 
posed this  piece  of  priestly  imposture  to  the  public, 
he  ordered  the  image  to  be  taken  to  his  house,  telling 
the  people  he  meant  to  deposit  it  in  his  cabinet  of 
curiosities.*  Another  account  says,  the  heads  of 
the  saints  were  sometimes  made  hollow,  to  hold 
water,  in  which,  when  it  was  necessary  to  make 
them  weep,  two  or  three  little  fishes  were  put, 
whose  motions  caused  the  water  to  overflow  through 
the  eyes. 

It  may  well  be  supposed  that  the  intention  of 
building  a  second  capital,  and  of  forcing  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  old  one  to  migrate  to  the  bleak  regions 

*  Stsehlin.    Authority,  M.    Corruedon,    Intendant    of  the 
Court, 


176  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

of  the  north,  met  with  great  opposition  from  the 
boyars  and  superior  classes;  and,  in  fact,  nothing 
short  of  despotic  authority  could  have  established 
Petersburg  as  the  new  residence  of  the  Czar.  But 
Peter,  more  enlightened  than  his  subjects,  was  fully 
aware  of  the  importance  of  the  situation.  As  a 
modern  writer  justly  observes,  ''The  internal  im- 
provement of  the  Russian  empire,  the  great  object 
of  Peter's  reign,  was  considerably  advanced  by  ap- 
proaching the  capital  to  the  more  civilized  parts  of 
Europe :  by  this  means  he  drew  the  nobility  from 
their  rude  magnificence  and  feudal  dignity  at  Mos- 
cow, to  a  more  immediate  dependence  on  the  sove- 
reign, to  more  polished  manners,  to  a  greater  degree 
of  social  intercourse.  Nor  did  any  other  cause, 
perhaps,  so  much  tend  to  promote  his  plans  for  the 
civilization  of  his  subjects,  as  the  removal  of  the 
imperial  seat  from  the  inland  provinces  to  the  Gulf 
of  Finland."* 

The  Czar  had,  evidently,  and  indeed  he  avowed  it, 
Amsterdam  in  his  eye,  when  he  planned  and  marked 
out  St.  Petersburg.  The  wharves  of  the  river,  the 
canals,  the  bridges,  the  straight-lined  streets  planted 
with  trees,  were  all  after  the  Dutch  model.  He  had 
taken  with  him,  from  Yoronitz  and  other  places, 
several  Dutch  architects,  shipbuilders,  masons,  and 
artisans  well  versed  in  securing  foundations  on 
swampy  ground,  similar  to  that  on  which  Amster- 
dam is  built ;  in  short,  the  earliest  part  of  the  city, 
*  Coxe's  Travels  in  Russia. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  17f 

which  stands  on  the  Yassali  Ostrof ,  is  entirely  after 
the  Dutch  taste ;  and  to  a  small  island,  on  which 
vast  quantities  of  timber  are  usually  collected  and 
stowed,  he  gave  the  name  of  New- Holland. 

Five  months  had  scarcely  elapsed  from  laying  the 
first  stone  of  St.  Petersburg,  Avhen  a  report  was 
brought  to  the  Czar  that  a  large  ship,  under  Dutch 
colors,  was  standing  into  the  river.  It  may  be  sup- 
posed that  this  was  a  joyful  piece  of  intelligence 
for  the  founder.  It  was  nothing  short  of  realizing 
the  wish,  nearest  his  heart,  to  open  the  Baltic  for 
the  nations  of  Europe  to  trade  with  his  dominions ; 
it  constituted  them  his  neighbors ;  and  he  at  once 
anticipated  the  day  when  his  ships  would  also  float 
on  his  OAvn  waters,  would  beat  the  Swedish  navy, 
and  drive  them  from  a  sea  on  which  they  had  long 
floated  triumphant  with  undivided  sway.  When 
Peter  was  employed  in  building  his  fleet  at  Yor- 
onitz,  Patrick  Gordon  one  day  asked  him,  ''Of 
what  use  do  you  expect  all  the  vessels  you  are  build- 
ing to  be,  seeing  you  have  no  seaports?"  ''My 
vessels  shall  make  ports  for  themselves,"  replied 
Peter,  in  a  determined  tone;  a  declaration  which 
was  now  on  the  eve  of  being  accomplished. 

]^o  sooner  was  the  communication  made,  than 
the  Czar,  with  his  usual  rapidity,  set  off  to  meet  this 
welcome  stranger.  The  skipper  was  invited  to  the 
house  of  Menzikoff ;  he  sat  down  at  table;  and,  to 
his  great  astonishment,  found  that  he  was  placed 
next  the  Czar,  and  had  actually  been  served  by  him. 
J2 


178       LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

But  not  less  astonished  and  delighted  was  Peter,  on 
learning  that  the  ship  belonged  to,  and  had  been 
freighted  by,  his  old  Zaandam  friend  with  whom  he 
had  resided,  Cornelius  Calf.  Permission  was  im- 
mediately given  to  the  skipper  to  land  his  cargo, 
consisting  of  salt,  wine,  and  other  articles  of  pro- 
visions, free  of  all  duties.  Nothing  could  be  more 
acceptable  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  new  city  than 
this  cargo,  the  whole  of  which  was  purchased  by 
Peter,  Menzikoff,  and  the  several  officers;  so  that 
Auke  Wihes,  the  skipper,  made  a  most  profitable  ad- 
venture. On  his  departure  he  received  a  present  of 
five  hundred  ducats,  and  each  man  of  the  crew  one 
hundred  rix- dollars,  as  a  premium  for  the  first  ship 
that  had  entered  the  port  of  St.  Petersburg.  In  the 
same  year  another  Dutch  ship  arrived,  with  a  cargo 
of  hams,  cheese,  butter,  gin,  &c.,  and  received  the 
same  premium ;  and  the  third  was  given  to  an  Eng- 
lish ship,  which  entered  the  port  in  the  first  year  of 
the  building  of  the  city.  * 

While  Peter  was  thus  busily  employed  in  creating 
a  new  capital,  the  King  of  Sweden  was  making  his 
way  with  the  diet  of  Poland,  and  endeavoring  to 
prevail  on  them  to  dethrone  Augustus.  He  was 
fully  aware  of  the  Czar's  proceedings,  and  of  the 
rapid  progress  that  he  was  making  in  building  a  city 
on  the  banks  of  the  Neva.  But  when  this  was  once 
mentioned  to  Charles,  he  is  reported  to  have  said, 
^'  Let  him  amuse  himself  as  he  thinks  fit  in  building 
*  Scheltema's  Russia  and  Netherlands. 


lilFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  1Y9 

his  city ;  I  shall  soon  find  time  to  take  it  from  him, 
and  to  put  his  wooden  houses  into  a  blaze. "  As  to 
Augustus,  he  had  lost  entirely  the  affections  of  the 
Poles ;  so  that  the  cardinal-primate,  who  had  long 
flattered  and  deceived  him,  at  last  threw  off  the 
mask,  and  declared,  at  an  assembly  held  at  Warsaw, 
the  14th  of  February,  1704,  that  Augustus,  Elector 
of  Saxony,  was  incapable  of  wearing  the  crown  of 
Poland  any  longer.  It  was,  therefore,  agreed  that 
the  throne  was  vacant,  and  that  a  new  election 
must  be  made.  The  Czar  addressed  an  indignant 
letter  to  the  cardinal-primate,  and  to  the  ''most 
illustrious,  generous,  and  magnificent  lords, ' '  which, 
however,  produced  no  effect  on  the  confederated 
nobility. 

They  proceeded  to  elect  Prince  James  Sobieski, 
recommended  by  the  King  of  Sweden ;  but  intelli- 
gence was  just  then  brought  from  his  brother  Alex- 
ander, stating,  that,  as  his  brothers,  James  and  Con- 
stantine  were  hunting  near  Breslau,  a  party  of 
about  thirty  horse,  sent  by  Augustus  for  the  purpose, 
had  seized  and  forcibly  carried  them  off  to  Leipsic 
where  they  were  kept  in  close  confinement.  Charles 
then  proposed  Alexander  for  the  crown,  which  his 
father  had  w^orn  before  him,  but  he  absolutely  re- 
fused to  accept  it  while  his  elder  brother  was  alive. 
The  King  of  Sweden  next  named  Stanislaus  Les- 
cinsky,"^  a  young  nobleman   endowed  with  great 

*  The  Polish  spelling  of  this  word  is  "  Leszczynski."    The 
simpler  form  is  here  retained  as  a  matter  of  convenience. 


180  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

virtues  and  accomplishments,  who  was  then,  by  the 
voice  of  the  diet,  declared  King  of  Poland  and 
Grand-duke  of  Lithuania. 

Augustus,  having  heard  of  the  election  of  Stanis- 
laus, assembled  a  council  at  Sendomir,  and  there 
caused  him  to  be  declared  a  rebel  and  a  traitor. 
But  while  the  Elector  of  Saxony  was  abusing  his 
successful  rival,  in  idle  declamations,  Charles  was 
everywhere  routing  his  Saxon  troops.  Thus  cir- 
cumstanced, the  Czar  had  not  much  hope  of  assist- 
ance from  the  deposed  monarch.  He  himself  was, 
however,  growing  every  day  more  formidable ;  his 
troops  were  now  in  a  high  state  of  discipline,  and 
fit  to  meet  the  SAvedes  man  to  man;  his  officers 
were  well  trained  in  their  military  duties ;  he  had 
several  fine  regiments  of  cavalry,  good  engineers, 
and  a  serviceable  artillery ;  and  such  was  now  the 
strength  of  his  army,  that,  in  virtue  of  a  treaty  he 
had  made  with  Augustus,  he  was  able  to  send  him  a 
reinforcement  of  twelve  thousand  men  into  Lithu- 
ania, to  support  him  in  that  province,  which  had, 
as  yet,  declared  for  neither  party.  In  the  mean- 
time the  Czar  disposed  his  forces,  in  the  spring  of 
1704,  into  two  divisions  :  the  one,  under  Field-mar- 
shal Scherematof ,  he  destined  to  lay  siege  to  Dorpt ; 
the  other,  under  his  immediate  orders,  to  proceed 
to  the  attack  of  Narva,  where  he  had  formerly  sus- 
tained so  destructive  a  defeat. 

To  besiege  Dorpt,  it  was  necessary  to  be  master 
of  the  navigation  of  the  lake  Peipus,     For  thi^  pur- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  181 

pose,  a  flotilla  was  placed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Em- 
bach,  and  the  infantry,  with  some  field-pieces,  lined 
the  banks.  The  Swedish  squadron  advanced  down 
the  river,  to  attack  the  Kussian  flotilla ;  a  battle 
ensued,  the  result  of  which  was  the  capture  or  de- 
struction of  all  the  Swedish  vessels.  The  vessel  of 
the  commander,  Loscher,  was  blown  up,  and  the 
victory  was  so  complete,  that  the  Russians  sat  down, 
without  molestation,  before  Dorpt.  The  brave 
commandant  of  this  place  held  out  for  more  than 
six  weeks,  when  a  breach  was  made,  and  one  thou- 
sand men  were  prepared  for  the  assault.  A  great 
slaughter  ensued ;  and  the  commandant,  to  prevent 
the  remainder  of  the  garrison  being  put  to  the  sword, 
proposed,  and  was  granted,  an  honorable  capitula- 
tion. 

Though  Peter  had  assisted  in  the  siege  of  this 
place,  and  was  constantly  passing  to  and  from 
Xarva,  the  siege  of  the  latter  was  under  his  im- 
mediate direction,  and  matters  were  now  ready  for 
an  assault.  It  was  necessary,  in  the  first  place,  to 
get  possession  of  three  bastions,  which  bore  the  re- 
nowned names  of  victory^  honor ^  and  glory.  The 
Czar  carried  all  three,  with  sword  in  hand ;  the  be- 
siegers rushed  forward  into  the  town,  and  fell  im- 
mediately to  plunder.  The  most  horrid  barbarities 
ensued,  and  all  those  outrages  against  decency  and 
humanity  which  are  but  too  common  on  the  sacking 
of  a  town,  and  which  both  Russians  and  Swedes 
were  in  the  habit  of  practising  to  the  greatest  excess, 


182  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

were  committed  in  this  unfortunate  place.  But 
Peter,  barbarian  as  he  has  been  supposed,  on  seeing 
his  men  intent  on  slaughter  and  pillage,  ran  from 
place  to  place  to  stay  their  fury,  rescuing  women 
and  children  from  the  hands  of  a  savage  soldiery,  and 
slaying,  without  compunction,  several  of  the  barba- 
rous brutes  who  would  not  listen  to  his  orders.  He 
then  proceeded  to  the  Hotel  de  Yille,  where  great 
numbers  of  the  unfortunate  citizens  had  taken  ref- 
uge ;  he  there  threw  down  his  sword,  reeking  with 
blood,  upon  the  table,  saying,  ''  My  sword  is  not 
stained  with  the  blood  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  city, 
but  with  that  of  my  own  soldiers,  which  I  have 
not  hesitated  to  spill  to  save  your  lives. ' ' 

Thus,  with  the  acquisition  of  Dorpt  and  ]S"arva, 
the  year  1704  saw  Peter  in  possession  of  all  Ingria 
the  government  of  which  he  conferred  on  his  fa- 
vorite Menzikoff,  creating  him,  at  the  same  time, 
a  prince  of  the  empire  and  major-general  in  the 
army.  ' '  The  pride  and  prejudice  of  other  coun- 
tries," says  Voltaire,  "  might  find  fault  with  a  sove- 
reign for  raising  a  pastry-cook's  boy  to.  the  post  of 
general,  and  governor,  and  to  princely  dignity ;  but 
Peter  had  accustomed  his  subjects  not  to  be  sur- 
prised at  seeing  him  prefer  men  of  abilities  to  per- 
sons who  had  nothing  to  recommend  them  but  their 
high  birth. ' '  Menzikoff  had,  unquestionably,  very 
splendid  abilities,  though  Gordon  will  not  allow 
his  military  talent.  While  in  the  Czar's  family  he 
had  made  himself  perfect  in  several  languages ;  he 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  183 

became  an  officer,  at  least,  of  considerable  talent, 
and  was  of  great  assistance  to  his  master  both  in 
the  cabinet  and  the  field;  and,  by  his  insinuating 
manners  and  lively  good-hmnor,  he  gained  over  a 
great  many  of  the  nobles,  who  for  some  time  had 
shown  a  decided  hostility  both  to  him  and  to  the  in- 
novations of  his  master.  Such  a  man  was  deemed 
most  fit  to  govern  and  protect  the  important  prov- 
ince, which  opened  to  Russia  a  lucrative  commerce, 
and  speedy  intercourse  with  the  rest  of  Europe. 
Some  few  demonstrations  had  been  made,  in  the 
course  of  the  year,  on  the  part  of  the  Swedes,  to 
interrupt  the  operations  on  the  Neva,  but  they  all 
failed.  The  only  formidable  attempt  occurred  when 
Peter  was  in  Poland,  in  June,  1705.  A  Swedish 
squadron  of  twenty-two  ships  of  war,  with  a  num- 
ber of  transports,  landed  a  numerous  body  of  men 
on  the  island  of  Kitin,  when  the  Russian  troops, 
who  had  laid  themselves  down  flat  on  the  ground, 
suddenly  started  up,  and  falling  on  the  Swedes  un- 
awares, obliged  them  to  retreat,  in  the  utmost  con- 
fusion, to  their  ships,  abandoning  their  dead,  and 
leaving  behind  three  hundred  prisoners. 

Peter,  therefore,  deeming  himself  secure  in  this 
quarter  directed  a  more  particular  attention  to  the 
proceedings  of  Charles  XII.  in  Poland.  He  first 
made  an  offer  to  the  dethroned  king  Augustus,  to 
supply  huTi  with  a  fresh  body  of  troops,  in  addition 
to  the  twelve  thousand  men  which  he  had  already 
sent  him;  and  General    Repnin  was    accordingly 


184  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

ordered  to  march  from  the  frontiers  of  Lithuania 
with  six  thousand  horse  and  six  thousand  foot. 
This  being  done,  after  first  paying  a  visit  to  Yoro- 
nitz,  to  be  present  at  the  launching  of  the  first  ship 
of  eighty  guns,  built  from  a  draft  of  his  own, 
Peter  hastened  to  join  the  confederated  army  in 
Poland,  in  order  to  open  the  first  campaign  of  the 
year  1705,  in  support  of  his  old  ally  Augustus.  He 
proceeded  to  Yilna  in  Lithuania,  while  Marshal 
Scherematof  was  advancing  upon  Mittau,  the  capital 
of  Courland.  In  his  way  he  fell  in  with  the  Swed- 
ish general  Lewenhaupt,  at  a  place  called  Gemauers, 
where  an  obstinate  battle  was  fought,  in  which  the 
Kussians  were  defeated,  with  the  loss  of  five  to  six 
thousand  men,  and  the  field-marshal  was  wounded ; 
but  the  victory  was  dearly  purchased  by  the  Swedes, 
who  had  two  generals  and  several  other  ofiicers  killed, 
and  two  thousand  men  left  on  the  field.  Lewen- 
haupt, in  his  report  of  this  battle  to  the  King  of 
Sweden,  observes,  that  the  Eussians  had  through- 
out behaved  like  brave  soldiers. 

Notwithstanding  this  check,  Peter  ordered  his 
army  to  march  into  Courland.  General  Kepnin  laid 
siege  to  the  citadel  of  Mittau,  after  making  himself 
master  of  the  town ;  and,  after  a  short  resistance,  it 
surrendered  by  capitulation ;  but  while  this  was  carry- 
ing into  execution,  it  was  discovered  by  Kepnin  that 
the  Swedes  had  pillaged  the  palace  and  archives  of 
the  dukes  of  Courland,  and  had  even  entered  the 
vaults,  where  their  dead  were  deposited,  to  rob 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  1^5 

their  bodies  of  certain  jewels  which  they  had  on 
their  necks  and  fingers.  To  the  honor  of  the  Eus- 
sian  soldiers  appointed  to  guard  the  vaults  of  the 
castle,  on  finding  the  bodies  dragged  from  the 
tombs,  and  stripped  of  their  ornaments,  they  re- 
fused to  take  charge  until  a  Swedish  colonel  had 
examined  the  place,  and  given  them  a  certificate  that 
his  own  countrymen  had  committed  this  sacrilege.  * 

The  Czar  being  now  in  possession  of  the  greatest 
part  of  Courland,  and  Charles  too  much  occupied  in 
crowning  the  successor  of  the  king  whom  he  had 
been  the  means  of  dethroning,  his  majesty  deter- 
mined to  pass  the  remainder  of  the  winter  at  Mos- 
cow, in  order,  by  his  presence,  to  give  vigor  to  his 
new  regulations  for  the  encouragement  of  his  sub- 
jects in  the  arts  and  sciences. 

Scarcely  had  the  year  1706  commenced,  when  in- 
telligence was  brought  to  Moscow  that  Charles  XII. 
was  advancing  towards  Grodno,  in  order  to  attack 
the  Russian  and  Saxon  forces ;  and  that  Augustus 
had  been  obliged  to  retire  precipitately  towards  Sax- 
ony, with  four  regiments  of  Russian  dragoons.  The 
Czar  immediately  set  out  to  his  relief,  but  found  all 
the  avenues  to  Grodno  occupied  by  the  Swedish 
troops,  and  his  own  dispersed.  Peter  was  not  to  be 
dispirited  by  a  check  of  this  kind :  he  immediately 
set  about  collecting  his  scattered  forces ;  and  Gen- 
eral Schullemberg,  in  whom  Augustus  had  placed 

*  Nestesuranoi.    Voltaire.    Mottley.    Journal  de  Pierre  le 
Grand. 


186  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

his  last  hopes,  was  in  full  march,  with  twelve  thou- 
sand Saxons  and  six  thousand  Russians,  a  part  of 
those  which  the  Czar  had  furnished  to  the  deposed 
sovereign.  The  Swedish  Field-marshal  Eenschild 
interrupted  his  march  with  a  body  of  ten  thousand 
Swedes.  The  two  armies  met  near  the  little  town 
of  Frauenstadt;  a  battle  ensued,  and  the  Saxons 
were  defeated  with  great  slaughter ;  a  few  battalions 
only  escaped,  and  almost  every  man  was  wounded. 
The  Czar,  in  his  manifesto,  says  that  many  of  his 
troops,  both  Russians  and  Cossacks,  were  slaughtered 
in  cold  blood,  three  days  after  the  battle.  It  is 
stated  by  Yoltaire,  in  his  History  of  Charles  XII., 
and  repeated  in  that  of  Peter  I. ,  that  there  was  a 
French  regiment  in  the  Saxon  army,  who  had  been 
taken  prisoners  in  the  celebrated  battle  of  Rochstedt, 
and  who  had  the  care  of  the  artillery ;  that  they, 
dissatisfied  with  their  Saxon  masters,  and  admirers 
of  the  heroism  of  Charles  XII.,  laid  down  their 
arms  as  soon  as  they  saw  the  enemy.  The  Journal 
of  Peter  does  not  mention  this  circumstance;  he 
merely  states  that  the  cavalry  attacked  the  enemy 
Avith  great  impetuosity,  and  drove  the  infantry  into 
a  wood,  but  that  the  artillery  had  not  been  brought 
up. 

Yoltaire  further  states,  on  the  authority  of  King 
Stanislaus  himself,  that  such  were  the  barbarous 
cruelties  practised  by  officers  of  both  armies,  that 
in  one  of  the  skirmishes,  which  frequently  happened 
in  Poland,  a  Russian    officer,   who  had    been  his 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GHEAT.  187 

friend,  came,  after  the  defeat  of  the  corps  under  his 
command,  to  place  himself  under  his  protection; 
and  that  Steinbok,  the  Swedish  general,  shot 
him  dead  with  a  pistol,  while  he  held  him  in  his  arms. 

Augustus  had  got  together  an  army  of  twenty 
thousand  men,  with  which  he  was  prevailed  on  by 
General  Patkul,  ambassador  from  the  Czar,  to  march 
into  Poland  to  join  the  forces  of  Peter.  These  two 
sovereigns  met  a  second  time  at  Grodno,  where  Au- 
gustus instituted  the  order  of  the  White  Eagle,  with 
which  he  invested  the  Czar,  and  some  of  the  Rus- 
sian generals,  as  well  as  several  of  the  grandees  of 
Poland;  and  to  complete  the  farce,  as  M.  Fonte- 
nelle  is  pleased  to  call  it,  he  gave  the  commission 
of  colonel  to  the  Czar  and  Menzikoff.  Ridiculous 
as  it  might  appear,  the  farce  had  both  point  and 
plot  in  it.  In  fact,  it  was  the  renovation  of  an  an- 
cient Polish  order,  created  many  centuries  ago,  and 
the  object  of  restoring  it  was  to  conciliate  the  Polish 
prelates  and  nobles,  and  by  their  means  to  regain 
the  crown,  which  Peter  never  despaired  of,  and  at 
last  accomplished  for  his  wavering  ally. 

Peter,  being  suddenly  called  away  to  quell  a  re- 
bellion, that  had  broken  out  in  Astrakhan,  left  his 
army,  amounting  to  twenty  thousand  men,  with  his 
faithful  ally,  commanded  by  Menzikoff.  Charles 
XII.  was  at  this  time  overrunning  Saxony,  and  had 
proceeded  to  the  very  heart  of  the  electorate  of  Au- 
gustus. Whether  it  Avas  the  fear  that  Charles 
would  ruin  his  country,  or  admiration  of  his  glorious 


188  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

career,  like  that  of  the  French  regiment  which  laid 
down  their  arms,  or  some  jealousy  created  by  the 
grandees  of  Lithuania,  or  the  operation  of  all  these, 
Augustus  determined  to  seek  for  peace,  cost  Avhat 
it  might ;  and  for  this  purpose  sent  Imhoff  and 
Pfingsten,  secretly  and  confidentially,  with  full 
powers,  to  treat  with  Charles.  At  the  same  time, 
he  sent  an  order  for  the  arrest  of  Patkul,  who  was 
then  at  Dresden,  as  the  Czar's  ambassador,  and 
threw  him  into  prison.  The  two  plenipotentiaries 
went  privately  by  night  to  the  camp  of  Charles  XII. 
at  Alt-Eanstadt,  and  delivered  their  credentials  to 
him ;  he  desired  them  to  wait,  retired  to  his  closet, 
and  in  a  short  time  returned  with  a  paper  contain- 
ing four  articles,  in  which  it  was  declared  in  writing 
that  he  would  not  make  the  least  alteration.  First ^ 
That  King  Augustus  renounce  forever  the  crown 
of  Poland,  and  that  he  acknowledge  Stanislaus  as 
lawful  king.  Second^  That  he  renounce  all  treaties 
he  may  have  made  with  the  Czar  of  Muscovy. 
Thirds  That  he  send  back  immediately  the  two  So- 
bieskis  and  all  the  Swedish  prisoners.  Fourth^  That 
all  Swedish  deserters,  and  especially  John  Patkul, 
be  delivered  up. 

Just  at  this  moment,  and  while  the  plenipoten- 
tiaries were  negotiating  this  shameful  treaty  at  Alt- 
Ranstadt,  Prince  Menzikoff,  generalissimo  of  the 
Russian  army,  joined  the  forces  of  xlugustus,  near 
Calishe,  with  thirty  thousand  men.  The  deposed 
monarch  was  in  the  utmost  state  of  confusion,  and 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  189 

under  dreadful  apprehension  lest  Menzikoif  should 
discover  his  defection ;  but  what  added  greatly  to 
his  chagrin  was  the  sudden  appearance  of  ten  thou- 
sand Swedes  under  the  command  of  General  Meyer- 
feldt.  What  was  Augustus  to  do  in  this  awkAvard 
dilemma  in  which  he  was  thus  placed? — He  did  the 
very  thing  that  he  ought  not  to  have  done — he  sent 
a  confidential  officer  to  acquaint  Meyerfeldt  with 
the  negotiation  that  was  going  on ;  but  that  general, 
as  might  have  been  foreseen,  treated  the  message  with 
contempt,  as  "a  weak  invention  of  the  enemy  "  ; 
and  immediately  offered  battle,  which,  whether 
won  or  lost,  would  be  alike  fatal  to  Augustus.  The 
Kussians  obtained  a  complete  victory ;  the  Swedes 
having  lost  about  three  thousand  men  killed,  and 
Meyerfeldt,  and  several  officers  of  distinction,  and 
four  thousand  men  taken  prisoners.  The  victors 
entered  Warsaw  in  triumph,  and  there  Pfingsten 
presented  Augustus  with  the  treaty  of  peace  he  had 
just  concluded,  which  deprived  him  forever  of  his 
crown. 

Augustus  had  previously  written,  from  the  field 
of  battle,  a  letter  to  his  plenipotentiaries,  more  dis- 
graceful even  than  the  treaty  itself,  which  was  in- 
tended to  be  shown  to  Charles,  and  in  which  he 
begged  pardon  for  having  obtained  a  victory,  pro- 
testing that  the  battle  was  fought  against  his  will ; 
that  the  Russians  had  obliged  him  to  it ;  that  he 
had  intended  to  abandon  Menzikoif;  that  Meyer- 
feldt ought  to  have  beaten  him,  had  he  made  a 


190  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

proper  use  of  the  opportunity ;  that  he  would  deliver 
up  all  the  Swedish  prisoners,  or  break  with  the  Rus- 
sians, in  short,  that  he  would  give  the  King  of 
Sweden  all  proper  satisfaction,  for  having  dared  to 
beat  his  troops.* 

But  the  humiliation  of  Augustus  was  not  yet  com- 
plete. Leaving  Menzikolf  with  the  victorious  army, 
he  proceeded  to  Saxony,  to  place  himself  at  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  Swedish  king.  Charles  was  not  gifted 
with  the  milk  of  human  kindness;  the  great  fea- 
tures of  his  character  were  obstinacy,  severity,  and 
cruelty.  Augustus  found  him  determined  to  exact 
compliance  with  every  article  of  the  treaty ;  and  as 
a  further  punishment  for  having  dared  to  give  battle 
to  his  general  at  Calishe,  he  forced  upon  him  the 
ungrateful  and  humiliating  task  of  writing  a  con- 
gratulatory letter  to  Stanislaus,  on  his  accession  to 
the  crown  of  Poland.  Nor  was  this  all ;  he  was 
peremptorily  ordered  to  give  up  the  unfortunate 
Patkul  to  the  vengeance  of  the  King  of  Sweden. 
I^ever  Avas  a  sovereign  prince  placed  in  a  more  em- 
barrassing situation,  owing  to  his  vacillating  con- 
duct ;  for  while  Charles  was  heaping  upon  him  all 
manner  of  indignities,  the  Czar  was  loading  him 
with  bitter  reproaches,  and  loudly  demanded  from 
him,  the  restoration  of  his  ambassador ;  but  Charles 
threatened  what  terrible  things  he  would  do,  if  he 
was  not  delivered  up  to  him  according  to  the  treaty 
of  Alt-Ranstadt. 

*  Voltaire. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  191 

The  melancholy  story  of  this  unfortunate  Livo- 
nian  has  left  a  stain  on  the  character  of  Charles 
XII.  that  must  forever  cast  a  cloud  over  his  stern 
virtues  and  heroic  actions.  Charles  XI.  had  ex- 
ercised great  severity  against  the  privileges  of  the 
Livonians,  and  abridged  many  of  them.  Patkul, 
with  six  of  his  countrymen,  was  deputed  by  the 
nobility  of  Livonia  to  carry  their  grievances  to  the 
king,  whom  he  addressed  with  great  force  and 
eloquence.  Charles,  so  far  from  being  displeased, 
laid  his  hand  on  Patkul' s  shoulder,  and  told  him, 
' '  He  had  spoken  for  his  country  like  a  brave  man, 
and  that  he  loved  him  for  it ;  "  yet,  within  a  few 
days  after  this,  the  same  Charles  read  his  public 
accusation  as  a  traitor.  Patkul  made  his  escape  to 
Augustus,  from  whose  service  he  passed  into  that 
of  the  Czar,  till  he  was  thrown  into  confinement  in 
the  castle  of  Konigstein.  It  is  said  that,  on  the 
threats  of  Peter,  Augustus,  in  order  to  pacify  the 
Czar  and  evade  the  wrath  of  Charles,  secretly  con- 
sented to  the  prisoner's  escape,  but  that  Patkul  re- 
fused to  pay  to  the  mercenary  governor  the  sum  he 
demanded  for  his  liberty,  relying  on  the  law  of 
nations,  and,  as  he  supposed,  the  friendly  intentions 
of  Augustus.  In  the  meantime  a  party  of  Swedes 
came  up,  and  forced  the  victim  out  of  the  hands  of 
his  jailer.  He  was  carried  to  headquarters  at  Alt- 
Ranstadt,  and  kept  in  chains  for  three  months  be- 
fore his  execution. 

It  is  said  that  Charles  with  his  own  hand,  wrote 


192  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

out  bis  sentence  which  Avas,  to  be  broken  alive  on 
the  wheel  and  quartered.  He  was  at  that  time 
under  an  engagement  of  marriage  to  a  Saxon  lady 
of  great  beaut3^  birth,  and  merit :  he  desired  the 
chaplain  to  wait  on  her,  comfort  her,  and  assure 
her  that  he  died  full  of  the  tenderest  love  and 
affection  for  her.  When  led  ta  the  place  of  exe- 
cution, a  Swedish  officer  read  aloud  from  a  paper  as 
follows: — ''This  is  to  declare  that  the  express 
order  of  his  majesty,  our  most  merciful  lord,  is, 
that  this  man,  who  is  a  traitor  to  his  country,  be 
broke  upon  the  Avheel  and  quartered,  for  the  rep- 
aration of  his  crimes,  and  for  an  example  to  others ; 
that  every  one  may  take  care  of  treason,  and  faith- 
fully serve  his  king."  At  the  words,  ''most 
merciful  lord,"  Patkul  cried  out,  "  "What mercy !  " 
— and  at  those  of  ' '  traitor  to  his  country, ' ' 
"Alas!"  he  said,  "I  have  served  it  too  well." 
He  received  sixteen  blows,  and  endured  a  long  and 
dreadful  torture.  Thus  died  the  unhappy  John 
Eenold  Patkul,  ambassador  and  general  of  the 
Czar  of  Russia.* 

Yoltaire's  observations  on  this  murder  are  not 
more  forcible  than  just.  "  There  is  not  a  civilian," 
he  says,  ' '  in  Europe,  nay,  there  is  not  a  slave, .  but 
must  shudder  with  horror  at  this  barbarous  act  of 
injustice.  The  first  crime  of  this  unfortunate  man 
was  his  having  made  an  humble  representation  of 
the  rights  and  privileges  of  his  country,  at  the  head 

*Harleian  Miscellany.     Voltaire.    John Mottley,  &c. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  193 

of  six  Livonian  gentlemen,  who  had  been  deputed 
by  the  whole  state ;  he  was  condemned  for  fulfilling 
the  first  of  duties,,  that  of  serving  his  country  accord- 
ing to  her  laws.  So  unjust  a  sentence  fully  restored 
him  to  a  right  which  all  mankind  derive  from 
nature,  that  of  choosing  his  country.  As  he  was 
the  ambassador  of  one  of  the  greatest  monarchs  in  the 
whole  world,  his  person  ought  to  have  been  sacred. 
The  laws  of  nature  and  nations  were  violated  on 
this  occasion,  by  the  law  of  the  longest  sword. 
The  splendor  of  high  achievements  used  formerly  to 
cover  such  cruelties ;  but  now  they  are  an  indelible 
stain  to  military  glory."* 

The  Czar  was  highly  incensed  at  this  barbarous 
outrage  on  the  part  of  the  King  of  Sweden.  He 
wrote  letters  to  several  of  the  potentates  of  Europe, 
complaining  of  the  cowardice  and  treachery,  as  he 
deemed  it  to  be,  of  his  ally  Augustus,  and  of  the 
violation  of  the  law  of  nations  by  Charles  XII. 
Some  of  his  counsellors  proposed  to  him,  while  in 
this  state  of  exasperation,  that  he  should  retaliate 
on  the  Swedish  officers  who  were  prisoners  at 
Moscow ;  but  Peter  rebuked  them  severely  for  such 
a  suggestion.  If  Charles  was  so  dead  to  the  feelings 
of  humanity,  and  to  his  own  honor  and  reputation, 
that  nothing  but  glutting  his  revenge  in  blood 
would  satisfy  him,  Peter,  with  aU  his  severity  and 
irascible  temper,  was  seldom,  if  ever,  actuated  in 
his  punishments  by  feelings  of  that  character.     The 

*  Voltaire, 
13 


194:  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

revenge  which  he  resolved  to  take,  on  the  present 
occasion,  was  of  a  nobler  and  more  honorable 
nature.  He  determined  to  follow  up,  from  that 
moment,  the  project  agreed  upon  at  Grodno  by 
Augustus  and  himself — to  use  every  means  in  his 
power  to  defeat  the  views  of  Charles  on  Poland,  by 
driving  Stanislaus  from  the  throne.  He  held  a  con- 
ference at  Zolkiaw,  where  Prince  Menzikoff  had 
taken  up  his  quarters,  with  several  of  the  Polish 
grandees,  who  came  there  to  pay  their  court  to  him, 
before  they  met  at  a  general  assembly  to  be  held  at 
Leopol ;  and  the  gracious  manner  in  which  he  re- 
ceived them  entirely  gained  him  their  affection. 

In  the  first  assembly,  composed  of  the  primate, 
several  bishops,  palatines,  and  senators,  it  was  re- 
solved to  renew  the  confederation  of  Sendomir, — 
and  the  grand  question  was,  ' '  Whether  they  had 
any  king  or  not?  "  which,  passing  in  the  negative, 
they  talked  of  declaring  the  throne  vacant,  and 
agreed  to  summon  a  diet,  to  meet  at  Lublin  in  the 
following  May.  Peter  attended  this  meeting  with 
his  son  Alexis,  then  seventeen  years  of  age.  Prince 
Menzikoff,  and  some  others  of  his  ministers.  In 
June  they  met  again,  when,  after  many  debates,  the 
throne  was  declared  vacant,  and  thereupon  a  diet 
was  summoned  for  a  third  election.  A  report  being 
spread  that  the  Czar  intended  to  propose  his  >  son  as 
a  candidate  for  the  throne  of  Poland,  to  prevent 
any  suspicion  of  that  kind  he  sent  away  the  Czar- 
ovitz  to  Moscow, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  195 

r 

Peter  urged  to  the  diet  the  strong  necessity  there 
was  not  to  delay  choosing  a  new  sovereign,  as  the 
only  way  to  reconcile  the  divided  members  of  the 
republic,  and  to  show  that  they  looked  upon  Stanis- 
laus in  no  other  light  than  as  Palatine  of  Posnania. 
He  wrote  to  the  primate  and  chief  ministers  of  the 
crown,  that  he  could  not  take  any  solid  measure 
against  Charles,  and  for  the  benefit  of  the  republic, 
unless  they  chose  a  new  king ;  stating  that,  if  they 
would  not  do  so,  he  could  not  forbear  suspecting  that 
they  were  not  acting  sincerely  towards  him.  It  was 
finally  agreed  that  an  interregnum  should  be  pub- 
licly declared,  and  that  the  primate  should  be  in- 
vested with  the  office  of  regent  till  the  election  had 
taken  place.  But  in  the  meantime  King  Stanislaus 
had  been  acknowledged  by  most  of  the  sovereigns 
of  Europe ;  and,  having  left  Charles  in  Saxony,  was 
advancing  into  Poland  with  General  Kenschild  at 
the  head  of  sixteen  Swedish  regiments,  and  received 
as  lawful  king  at  every  place  through  which  he  had 
passed. 

The  Czar  was  also  informed  that  the  King  of 
Sweden,  having  replenished  his  military  chest  by 
the  contributions  he  had  levied  in  Saxony,  and  aug- 
mented his  army  to  50,000  men,  in  addition  to  the 
force  under  General  Lewenhaupt,  was  meditating 
how  he  should  bring  the  Czar  to  an  engagement. 
He  was  also  informed  that  the  Porte  had  made 
propositions  to  Charles  and  to  Stanislaus  to  join  with 
them  in  an  offensive  alliance  against  Kussia,  with  the 


196  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

view  of  forcing  him  to  abstain  from  all  interference 
in  Polish  affairs ;  and  that,  in  consequence,  Charles 
had  openly  declared  his  intention  of  making  Russia 
the  theater  of  war, — where  he  had  no  doubt  of  find- 
ing support  from  the  people,  dissatisfied  w4th  the 
expenses  of  the  contest,  and  more  so  with  the  nu- 
merous innovations  made  in  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  their  forefathers.  The  better  part  of  the 
Czar's  subjects  knew,  however,  that,  unlike  Charles, 
he  made  no  war  for  personal  ambition.  Economical 
and  simple  in  his  tastes  and  habits,  never  was  there 
a  prince  less  prodigal  of  the  revenues  of  the  state. 
It  may  be  truly  said  of  him,  that  after  an  arduous 
and  troublesome  reign — after  numerous  grand  de- 
signs and  operations — after  the  construction  and 
equipment  of  a  powerful  fleet,  and  a  numerous  and 
well-appointed  army,  both  of  his  own  creation — he 
left  to  his  successor  the  finances  of  the  country  in  a 
flourishing  condition,  and  his  subjects  unburdened 
by  any  public  debt. 

The  French  envoy  to  the  court  of  Saxony 
made  an  attempt  about  this  time  to  bring  about  a 
reconciliation  between  the  Czar  and  the  King  of 
Sweden ;  but  Charles  made  answer  that  he  would 
treat  with  the  Czar  in  the  city  of  Moscow.  It  was 
on  this  occasion  that  Peter  said,  *'My  brother 
Charles  wishes  to  act  the  part  of  Alexander,  but  he 
shall  not  find  in  me  a  Darius. ' ' 

In  August,  1707,  Charles  began  his  march  from 
Alt-Ranstadt  with    his    army    above    mentioned. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  I97 

While  his  troops  were  passing  the  walls  of  Dresden, 
Charles  paid  an  extraordinary  visit  to  King  Augus- 
tus, which,  Voltaire  observes,  was  running  a  great 
risk,  to  trust  himself  in  the  hands  of  a  prince  whom 
he  had  stripped  of  his  kingdom.  Charles,  however, 
had  nothing  to  fear  with  50,000  good  troops  at  his 
heels.  In  passing  through  Poland  the  Swedes  com- 
mitted such  horrid  ravages  that  the  peasantry  rose 
in  arms  and  destroyed  several  of  his  soldiers  from 
ambuscade,  which  the  Swedes  retaliated  by  murder- 
ing all  that  fell  in  their  way,  and  reducing  their 
habitations  to  ashes.  The  army  went  into  winter- 
quarters  in  Lithuania.  The  Russian  army  was 
quartered  in  the  provinces  of  Grodno  and  Minsk. 

While  the  two  armies  were  thus  taking  up  their 
winter-quarters,  the  Czar  repaired  to  Moscow, 
where  he  had  not  been  the  last  two  years,  and  was 
received  with  every  possible  demonstration  of  joy. 
He  witnessed  with  pleasure  the  completion  of  a 
large  hospital,  a  dispensary,  a  cloth  manufactory, 
and  glass-house,  which  he  had  planned  when  last  in 
the  city.  Some  other  manufactories,  of  private  in- 
dividuals, were  in  progress;  and,  among  others, 
that  of  pinmaking,  which  Yoltaire  considers  an  un- 
answerable proof  of  the  ignorance  of  the  people, 
that  this  should  be  among  the  first  they  attempted ; 
and  he  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  that  the  com- 
plaints and  murmuring  of  the  citizens  at  his  new 
regulations  had  nearly  subsided.  But  a  courier  hav- 
ing arrived  from  Menzikoff^  on  the  first  day  of  thq 


198  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

new  year,  1708,  which  his  Czarish  majesty  was  just 
celebrating,  bringing  an  account  of  the  movements 
of  the  King  of  Sweden,  he  immediately  set  out,  and 
fixed  his  headquarters,  with  six  hundred  of  the 
guards,  in  the  city  of  Grodno,  on  the  6th  February, 
— where,  by  a  tnistake  of  one  of  his  officers,  he 
very  narrowly  escaped  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
Swedish  king :  for  Charles,  having  heard  of  his  ar- 
rival there,  hurried  away  w^ith  onl}^  eight  hundred 
of  his  guards,  and  marched  directly  to  Grodno.  A 
German  officer,  who  commanded  one  of  the  gates  of 
the  town,  on  seeing  the  approach  of  the  king,  and 
supposing  he  was  followed  by  his  whole  army,  in- 
stead of  disputing  his  passage,  left  it  open.  An 
alarm  was  immediately  spread  all  over  the  town ; 
the  cry  was,  the  enemy's  whole  force  had  entered ; 
the  few  Kussians  who  attempted  to  oppose  the 
Swedish  guards  were  cut  in  pieces ;  and  the  Czar, 
being  assured  that  the  Swedes  were  masters  of  the 
town,  retreated  behind  the  ramparts,  and  Charles 
placed  a  guard  at  the  very  gate  through  which  Peter 
had  retired. 

The  Czar  now  collected  his  forces  in  the  palati- 
nate of  Minsk,  and,  finding  that  Charles  was  pursu- 
ing him  from  the  neighborhood  of  Grodno,  con- 
ceived the  plan  of  drawing  him  on  towards  a  part 
of  the  country  from  which  he  could  obtain  little  or 
no  subsistence — Avhere  he  would  have  no  magazines 
nor  safe  retreat — and  where,  after  establishing  his 
own  army  behind  secure  lines,  he  might  attack  with 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GI^EAT.  199 

advantage  his  fatigued  troops.  This  was  a  masterly 
piece  of  generalship  on  the  part  of  Peter, — and  the 
more  so,  since  he  could  so  place  his  own  army  as  to 
leave  open  to  it  a  retreat,  if  necessary,  over  a  tract 
of  country  which  would  afford  him  plenty  of  sub- 
sistence. He  marched,  therefore,  to  the  right  bank 
of  the  Dnieper,  and  intrenched  himself  between 
Mohilow,  or  Moghile,  and  Orsha, — a  position  which 
secured  him  an  open  and  free  communication  with 
Smolensk.  Having  abundance  of  provisions  for  the 
main  army,  fifteen  thousand  men  were  sent  under 
General  Goltz  to  join  twelve  thousand  Cossacks, 
with  orders  to  lay  waste  and  destroy  the  country  for 
thirty  miles  round,  and  then  to  rejoin  the  Czar  be- 
yond the  Dnieper.  This  measure  obliged  the 
Swedes  to  canton  their  army,  and  to  encamp  for 
want  of  forage,  till  the  month  of  May.  Such  was 
the  position  of  the  two  armies  in  the  spring  of  1708. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

The  Battle  of  Poltava. 

The  day  was  now  approaching  when  the  two 
heroes  were,  for  the  first  and  last  time,  to  be 
brought  into  personal  conflict  at  the  head  of  their 
respective  armies;  to  measure  their  strength,  to 
show  their  skill  in  military  movements,  and  to  fight 
the  decisive  battle. 

The  Russian  army  consisted  at  this  time  of  about 
100,000  effective  men,  of  which  38,000  were  infan- 
try, about  the  same  number  of  cavalry,  20,000  Cos- 
sacks, and  6000  Calmucks.  The  Swedes  had  79 
squadrons,  61  battalions  of  dragoons,  and  101  bat- 
talions of  infantry,  making  in  the  whole  about  88,- 
000  men ;  but  inferiority  in  point  of  numbers  was 
more  than  compensated  by  the  superior  skill  of  the 
oflBcers  and  the  higher  quality  of  the  troops. 

It  was  not  till  the  25th  of  June  that  any  affair  of 
importance  took  place,  when  the  King  of  Sweden 
came  up  with  the  division  of  15,000  Russians,  under 
General  Goltz,  who  had  encamped  on  the  river  Be- 
rezina, and  was  just  joined  by  the  two  corps  under 
Prince  Repnin  and  the  Field-marshal  Scherematof. 
The  King  of  Sweden  made  an  attack  on  the  three 

200 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  201 

corps  with  the  whole  of  his  cavalry,  which  was  gal- 
lantly received  and  vigorously  resisted  by  the  Rus- 
sians. The  action  lasted  four  hours,  with  great 
slaughter  and  great  bravery  on  both  sides.  The 
Swedes  lost  a  number  of  officers  and  5000  men. 
The  loss  of  the  Russians  was  a  major-general,  six- 
teen captains,  three  lieutenants,  and  about  2000  men 
killed.*  Charles  was  on  horseback  until  Captain 
Gyllenstiern,  a  young  Swede  for  whom  he  had  a 
great  esteem,  was  wounded  and  unable  to  march, 
when  the  king  gave  him  his  own  horse,  and  fought, 
during  the  rest  of  the  battle,  on  foot,  at  the  head  of 
his  guards,  t  The  Czar  did  not  arrive  at  this  de- 
tachment of  his  army  till  two  days  after  the  battle. 
A  report  being  spread  that  Charles  had  threatened 
to  push  on  direct  for  Moscow,  there  to  dictate  to 
Peter  such  conditions  of  peace  as  he  might  think 
proper,  the  latter  employed  the  corps  under  Goltz 
to  lay  waste  the  whole  country  between  the  Dnieper 
and  the  frontiers  of  Smolensk,  which  was  the  direct 
line  the  Swedes  would  probably  take,  provided  the 
king  should  attempt  to  carry  his  threat  into  execu- 
tion; and  this  having  been  accomplished  by  the 
Russian  general,  nothing  short  of  an  act  of  madness 
could  induce  so  large  an  army  to  take  that  route. 

Charles,  however,  showed  an  indication  of  lead- 
ing his  forces  into  the  Russian  territories  by  cross- 
ing the  Dnieper.  The  Czar  observed  his  movements, 
but  remained  quietly  in  his  position ;  not  at  all  dis- 

*  Nestesuranoi.  f  Mottley, 


202  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

pleased  to  see  the  whole  force  of  the  enemy  on  that 
side  of  the  river,  where,  in  case  of  disaster,  he  could 
neither  hope  for  succors  nor  a  safe  retreat,  and  where 
a  decisive  victory  only  could  save  him.  Peter,  how- 
ever, judged  it  advisable  not  to  hazard,  if  it  could  be 
avoided,  a  general  engagement,  by  which,  if  unsuc- 
cessful, an  entrance  would  be  laid  open  to  the  en- 
emy into  the  very  heart  of  his  dominions.  He  re- 
solved, therefore,  after  the  manner  of  the  Cossacks, 
to  send  out  from  his  army  several  small  corps,  at- 
tacking, retreating,  and  wasting  the  country,  so  as 
to  divert  the  enemy,  and  to  make  it  difficult,  if  not 
impossible,  for  him  to  follow  them.  In  the  several 
skirmishes  that  took  place,  in  some  of  which  Charles 
exposed  himself  so  as  narrowly  to  escape  with  life, 
the  Russians  generally  gave  Avay,  but  left  a  waste 
behind  them.  Charles,  however,  still  pushed  on, 
in  spite  of  all  obstacles,  almost  to  Smolensk,  in  the 
direct  road  to  the  capital  of  Russia.  But  at  length, 
his  army  becoming  grievously  exhausted  by  fatigue 
and  famine,  and  perpetually  harassed  by  the  constant 
attacks  of  the  Russian  skirmishers  and  Cossacks, — 
and  finding,  moreover,  that  the  adherents  he  had 
flattered  himself  he  should  meet  with,  on  entering 
Russia,  entirely  failed  him, — he  gave  up  all  hope  of 
reaching  Moscow^  where  he  had  fondly  flattered 
himself  to  treat  of  peace  with  his  brother  Peter,  and 
turned  suddenly  towards  the  Ukraine.  This  false 
step  proved  the  ruin  of  Charles  and  his  army. 
Peter  under  whose  orders  the  King  of  Sweden  had 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  ^03 

been  thus  harassed,  was  at  a  loss  to  comprehend 
what  could  possibly  be  the  intentions  of  Charles 
in  making  this  desperate  movement  towards  the 
Ukraine,  which  appeared  to  him  nothing  less  than 
the  road  to  certain  destruction,  as  that  country  was 
well  defended  by  30,000  Cossacks,  under  the  com- 
mand of  the  Hetman  Mazeppa,  on  whose  fidelity  he 
placed  the  utmost  confidence.  The  mystery,  how- 
ever, of  this  movement  was  soon  explained.  Ma- 
zeppa, from  some  real  or  fancied  slight  he  had 
received  from  the  Czar,  had  turned  traitor,  and  sent 
a  favorite  officer  to  Charles  to  say,  that  the  people 
of  the  Ukraine  regarded  him  as  their  liberator,  and 
that  they  would  receive  him  with  open  arms.  Se- 
duced by  this  proffered  support,  Charles  was  pre- 
vailed on  to  take  a  step  which,  among  other  disad- 
vantages, had  that  of  separating  himself  from  his 
best  general,  Lewenhaupt.  This  able  officer  did  all 
he  could  to  form  a  junction  with  the  army  under  the 
king,  but  he  had  to  traverse  a  ruined  country,  and 
was  continually  pursued  and  harassed  in  his  march 
by  General  Bauer,  who  never  for  a  moment  lost 
sight  of  him.  This  general  passed  the  Dnieper 
on  the  6th  October  at  Mohilow,  where  he  joined 
the  Czar,  the  Prince  Menzikoff,  and  General  Goltz, 
so  that  Lewenhaupt  found  himself  surrounded  by 
fifty  or  sixty  thousand  Russians,  commanded  by  the 
Czar  in  person. 

The  Swedish  general  made  a  charge  on  the  out- 
posts of  .the  Russians,  near  the  village  of  Lesno,  and 


204  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

killed  some  four  or  five  hundred  men,  when,  after 
the  first  volley,  the  Kussian  infantry  gave  way  and 
took  to  flight.  Peter,  on  hearing  this,  was  highly 
incensed,  and  gave  immediate  orders  that  a  number 
of  Cossacks  and  Calmucks  should  be  placed  behind 
the  line,  with  positive  directions  to  sabre  every  man 
who  should  attempt  to  quit  the  ranks,  without  re- 
gard to  persons,  even  himself,  if  he  should  be  guilty 
of  such  cowardly  conduct. 

Lewenhaupt,  after  this  affair,  continued  his  march 
towards  Propoisk,  over  roads  nearly  impracticable, 
intersected  by  woods  and  marshes,  and  pursued  by  a 
Eussian  army,  which  had  been  reinforced  by  three 
or  four  thousand  dragoons,  close  to  his  heels.  Lew- 
enhaupt soon  saw  that  the  only  chance  left  for 
safety  was  on  the  issue  of  a  battle.  For  this  pur- 
pose he  made  the  best  possible  disposition  to  receive 
the  Russians ;  he  placed  two  battalions  in  advance, 
which  were  furiously  attacked  by  Colonel  Zambol 
with  four  battalions  of  the  Czar's  guards ;  the  re- 
sult was,  that  at  least  half  of  the  battalion  of  the 
Swedes  were  left  on  the  field.  This  affair  brought 
on  a  general  action,  in  which  the  Czar,  amid  a  most 
tremendous  fire,  passed  from  one  part  of  the  line  to 
the  other,  and  was  everywhere  animating,  by  his  val- 
or and  his  presence,  both  officers  and  soldiers.  The 
battle  continued  with  the  greatest  obstinacy  the 
whole  day,  when  the  Swedes  retired  behind  their 
baggage-wagons,  and  the  fire  began  to  slacken. 

The  night  having  come  on,  and  the  difl&culty  of 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  205 

dislodging  the  enemy  from  behind  his  wagons  being 
apparent,  Peter  forbade  his  officers,  on  pain  of  being 
cashiered,  and  his  soldiers  on  the  penalty  of  death, 
to  go  out  for  the  plunder  of  the  dead  bodies ;  and 
also  ordered  the  whole  army  to  remain  under  arms. 
It  was  observed  that  the  Swedes  kept  up,  during 
the  night,  great  fires  around  the  wagons.  At  dawn 
of  day  the  Czar  had  ordered  that  an  attack  should  be 
made  upon  the  Swedes,  but  it  was  discovered  that 
Lewenhaupt  had  gone  off  in  the  course  of  the  night, 
leaving  behind  him  the  wounded  to  the  discretion  of 
the  Russians,  and  also  the  7000  wagons  intended  to 
relieve  the  wants  of  the  army  under  the  king  his 
master.  Lewenhaupt  swam  the  river  Sissa  with 
the  remains  of  his  army,  and  escaped  with  about 
four  thousand  men  to  join  the  King  of  Sweden  at 
Starudub  upon  the  Desna.  The  prisoners  taken  by 
the  Russians  were — 103  officers,  2673  men,  47 
colors,  10  standards,  16  pieces  of  cannon,  7000 
wagons,  and  all  the  arms,  ammunition,  and  bag- 
gage. The  loss  of  the  Russians  was  70  officers 
killed  or  dangerously  wounded,  and  1200  soldiers 
killed  or  wounded.  Among  the  wounded  officers 
were  his  highness  of  Darmstadt,  General  Bauer,  and 
Colonel  Weyde.  This  was  the  first  great  battle  in 
which  the  Czar  was  present  in  person,  and  the  first 
pitched  battle  gained  by  the  Russians  against  an 
enemy  who  had  gained  so  many  victories  over 
them.  It  was  estimated  that  the  total  loss  of  the 
Swedes,    under  Lewenhaupt,    amounted    to  eight 


206  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

thousand  men,  seventeen  pieces  of  cannon,  and 
forty-four  colors,  and  the  whole  convoy  of  pro- 
visions intended  for  that  part  of  the  army  under 
Charles,  of  which  it  stood  in  the  greatest  need. 

In  the  mean  time,  Charles  was  very  uneasy  at  the 
non-arrival  of  Lewenhaupt  on  the  expected  day,  and 
equally  so  on  hearing  nothing  from  Mazeppa,  by 
whom  he  now  began  to  suspect  he  was  betrayed. 
Just,  however,  as  he  was  preparing  to  pass  the 
Desna,  Mazeppa  made  his  appearance — not  indeed 
with  a  reinforcement  of  20,000  men,  and  a  large 
supply  of  provisions,  as  he  had  promised,  but  with 
two  regiments  only,  and  rather  as  a  fugitive,  who 
was  in  need  of  succors  himself,  than  as  a  powerful 
prince  bringing  assistance  to  an  ally  placed  in  dif- 
ficult circumstances.  He  reported  to  the  king  that 
he  had  begun  his  march  with  sixteen  thousand  men 
intended  to  be  led,  as  he  had  made  them  believe, 
against  the  King  of  Sweden,  who  was  desolating 
their  country,  and  promising  them  that,  after  ob- 
taining the  honor  of  obstructing  his  progress,  they 
would,  for  this  piece  of  service,  lay  the  powerful 
Czar  of  Eussia  under  eternal  obligation,  and  be  re- 
warded accordingly. 

Mazeppa  further  stated  that,  on  approaching  the 
Desna,  he  had  thought  it  right  to  undeceive  his  men, 
and  therefore,  made  them  acquainted  with  his  real 
design :  that  they  received  the  proposed  act  of  revolt 
with  indignation,  and  positively  refused  to  betray  a 
monarch  against  whom   they  had  no  grounds  of 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  207 

complaint,  and  that  too  for  the  sake  of  a  Swede, 
who  was  marching  an  army  into  the  heart  of  their 
country,  and  who,  having  laid  it  waste,  would  after- 
ward leave  them  to  the  mercy  of  the  powerful  Czar, 
whom  they  had  outraged.  The  result  was  that, 
with  the  exception  of  the  few  men  he  had  brought 
with  him,  all  the  rest  deserted  him  and  returned  to 
their  homes. 

This  intelligence  was  a  severe  blow  to  Charles  in 
the  present  reduced  state  of  his  army,  and  the  un- 
fortunate position  in  which  he  was  placed.  Mazeppa 
informed  him  that  he  had  still  possession  of  some 
fortresses  in  the  Ukraine,  and  particularly  that  of 
Bathurin,  which  was  his  place  of  residence  and  the 
capital  of  the  Cossacks.  This  place,  situated  near 
the  forests  of  the  Desna,  was  not  of  suiRcient 
strength  to  stand  a  siege,  but  might  serve  to  impede 
the  Russians,  and  cause  them  to  divide  their  forces. 
He  ordered,  therefore,  a  reinforcement  to  strengthen 
its  garrison.  The  Czar,  however,  had  already  sent 
Menzikoff  and  Galitzin,  by  a  circuitous  route,  to  at- 
tack this  fortress,  and  on  their  appearing  before  it, 
the  town  was  taken  almost  without  resistance, 
plundered,  and  reduced  to  ashes. 

A  council  of  war  was  now  held  at  the  Russian 
headquarters,  when  sentence  of  excommunication 
was  passed  on  Mazeppa  by  the  Archbishop  of  Kief, 
assisted  by  two  other  prelates;  after  which  the 
traitor  was  hanged  in  effigy,  and  some  of  his  accom- 
plices, taken  in  Bathurin,  were  broken  on  the  wheel. 


208  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

The  principal  men  of  the  Cossacks  then  repaired  to 
the  church,  and,  after  divine  service,  assembled  in  a 
large  body  to  elect  a  new  hetman :  when  the  choice 
having  fallen  on  Ivan  Skoropatsky,  he  was  declared 
their  general  amid  the  acclamations  of  the  people. 
This  new  general,  attended  by  Menzikoff  and  Golof- 
kin,  and  by  a  great  number  of  officers,  went  imme- 
diately to  the  quarters  of  the  Czar,  who  confirmed 
his  election. 

All  this  happened  in  the  month  of  November, 
at  which  inclement  season  Charles  had  to  march 
through  a  country  that  was  quite  desolate,  all  the 
villages  having  been  burnt  or  destroyed ;  nor  did  it 
appear  that  he  had  any  definite  object  in  view; 
while  the  defeat  of  Lewenhaupt  and  the  disappoint- 
ment of  Mazeppa's  reinforcement,  and  the  setting  in 
of  winter,  appeared  to  render  his  situation  hopeless. 
In  the  month  of  December  the  cold  became  so  ex- 
tremely intense,  that,  in  one  of  the  marches,  an 
enormous  number  of  men  are  stated  to  have  dropped 
down,  either  dying  at  once  on  the  spot,  or  being  left 
behind  to  perish.  The  Eussians  had  their  o^vn 
country  open  to  them  in  their  rear,  and  received  all 
manner  of  supplies;  but  the  poor  Swedes,  being 
nearly  naked,  and  half-famished,  were  unable  to 
resist  the  inclemency  of  the  weather.  The  effect- 
ive force  of  the  Swedish  army  was  now  reduced  to 
about  five-and-twenty  thousand  men,  besides  the 
shattered  remains  of  Lewenhaupt 's  corps,  which 
could  not  exceed  five  thousand,  and  those  brought 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  209 

with  Mazeppa,  which  might  be  about  two  thousand 
more. 

Reduced  to  this  deplorable  situation,  the  Swedish 
chancellor,  Count  Piper,  the  able  and  prudent  adviser 
of  the  king,  entreated  him  to  halt  in  a  small  toAvn  of 
the  Ukraine,  called  Romira,  Avhere  he  might  in- 
trench his  fatigued  and  dispirited  army,  and,  in  all 
probability,  be  supplied  with  provisions  by  means 
of  Mazeppa.  Every  rational  consideration  ought  to 
have  prevailed  on  the  king  to  listen  to  this  advice, 
especially  as  the  Russians  were  gone  into  winter- 
quarters,  and  not  disposed  to  molest  him;  but 
Charles,  with  his  habitual  obstinacy,  said  it  was 
beneath  his  dignity  to  shut  himself  up  in  a  town. 
Piper  then  endeavored  to  prevail  on  him  to  repass 
the  Desna  and  the  Dnieper,  and  to  retrace  his  steps 
into  Poland ;  there  to  put  his  troops  into  quarters, 
and  to  obtain  those  refreshments  of  which  they 
stood  so  greatly  in  need.  He  represented  to  him 
the  absolute  necessity  there  was,  independent  of 
their  own  deplorable  condition,  to  support  King 
Stanislaus,  whom  he  himself  had  raised  to  the 
throne  of  Poland,  and  to  defeat  the  views  which 
the  adverse  party  had  of  a  new  election,  which 
would  probably  be  carried  in  favor  of  his  enemy, 
the  late  King  Augustus.  But  this  proposal  had  no 
better  success.  Charles  replied,  that  if  he  did  this, 
it  would  be  considered  the  same  thing  as  flying  be- 
fore the  Czar ;  that  as  to  the  season,  it  might  be 
expected  soon  to  grow  milder ;  that  he  was  deter- 


210  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

mined  to  subdue  the  Ukraine,  and  then  to  march 
straight  forward  to  Moscow :  such  was  the  infatua- 
tion that  had  got  possession  of  the  mind  of  Charles. 

Both  armies,  however,  were  compelled,  from  the 
intense  cold  of  December  and  January,  to  remain  in 
a  state  of  inactivity.  Charles  first  broke  ground, 
by  sending  out  detachments,  as  soon  as  the  men 
were  able  to  handle  their  arms,  to  attack  and  drive 
in  the  several  small  posts  which  had  been  placed  by 
the  Russians  to  obstruct  his  movements.  This,  in 
fact,  was  absolutely  necessary,  to  enable  him  to  ob- 
tain subsistence,  the  army  being  driven  to  the  last 
extremity.  For  twenty  leagues  round,  the  peas- 
antry of  the  Ukraine  were  robbed  and  pillaged  by 
the  Swedes ;  nor  does  it  appear  that  the  latter  were 
at  all  obstructed  by  the  Russians,  who  remained 
quietly  in  their  winter-quarters,  Peter  having,  in  all 
probability,  deemed  it  the  best  policy  to  leave  the 
Swedish  army  unmolested,  knowing  that  it  was 
rapidly  mouldering  away. 

The  senseless  obstinacy  of  Charles  was  the  ruin 
of  himself  and  his  whole  army.  In  February  he 
began  his  march  across  the  Ukraine,  to  the  south- 
east, burning  all  the  villages  and  peasants'  houses  as 
he  passed  along,  till  he  reached  the  sandy  deserts 
to  the  westward  of  the  river  Donetz,  which  passes 
through  the  country  of  the  Don  Cossacks.  What 
bis  object  could  have  been  in  taking  this  direction  it 
is  not  easy  to  conjecture ;  but  it  is  quite  clear  he 
was  wholly  unacquainted  with  the  nature  of  the 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  211 

country.  He  was,  therefore,  compelled  to  retrace 
his  steps,  and  return  across  that  very  territory  which 
he  had  just  laid  waste.  His  army,  destitute  of  pro- 
visions, swept  away  the  few  remaining  cattle  from 
the  peasantry,  who,  in  their  turn,  murdered  the 
soldiers,  whenever  they  were  strong  enough  to  con- 
tend with  them.  This  marching  and  counter- 
marching by  which  his  army  was  daily  wasting  in 
numbers,  continued  nearly  three  months,  without 
answering  any  other  purpose  than  that  of  harassing 
and  weakening  his  forces.  In  the  month  of  May  he 
reached  the  river  Yorskla,  on  which  is  situated  the 
small  fortified  town  of  Poltava,  a  place  that  had 
been  garrisoned  by  the  Kussians,  under  the  com- 
mand of  General  AUart,  an  experienced  engineer 
ofiicer.  This  place  the  Czar  had  taken  care  to  sup- 
ply with  abundance  of  provisions  and  ammunition, 
considering  it  as  a  point  of  the  greatest  importance 
that  it  should  not  be  occupied  by  the  Swedes.  It  is 
so  situated,  that  several  passes  lead  from  it  through 
the  mountains,  in  a  northerly  direction,  all  of  which 
communicate  with  the  great  road  to  Moscow ;  and 
as  Charles  seemed  to  have  made  up  his  mind  not  to 
relinquish  his  proud  vision  of  dictating  a  peace  to 
the  Czar  in  the  Kremlin,  he  conceived  the  first  step 
towards  it  would  be  the  possession  of  Poltava. 

Charles,  accordingly,  laid  siege  to  this  fortified 
place,  with  about  eighteen  thousand  men,  the  re- 
mains of  an  army  consisting  of  at  least  forty  thou- 
sand when  he  left  Saxony  the  year  before.     Peter 


212  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

was  fully  prepared  for  its  defense;  and  while 
Charles  had  been  employed  in  wasting  his  army,  the 
Czar  had  availed  himself  of  the  winter  months  in 
visiting  his  establishments  on  the  Don,  from  Yoro- 
nitz  to  Azof;  had  given  orders  for  improving  the 
harbors,  for  constructing  an  additional  number  of 
ships,  a,nd  for  repairing  and  strengthening  the  for- 
tress of  Taganrog.  On  his  return  he  was  made  fully 
acquainted  with  the  proceedings  of  Charles ;  and  on 
the  15th  of  June,  1709,  he  appeared  before  Poltava, 
with  an  army  from  fifty  to  sixty  thousand  strong. 
He  forthwith  detached  Menzikoff,  with  a  corps,  to 
make  a  feint,  as  if  he  was  about  to  offer  battle  to 
the  besiegers,  who  came  out  of  their  trenches  to  ac- 
cept the  challenge,  and  by  this  diversion  Menzikoff 
succeeded  in  throwing  into  the  place  a  reinforce- 
ment of  troops,  which  increased  the  garrison  to 
about  two  thousand  men.  When  Charles  discovered 
this  maneuver,  he  could  not  forbear  saying,  ' '  I  see 
well  that  we  have  taught  the  Muscovites  the  art  of 
war. ' ' 

Peter,  having  now  determined  to  bring  on  a  gen- 
eral action,  disposed  his  army  in  two  long  lines,  be- 
tween the  Dnieper  and  the  Yorskla,  which  falls  into 
the  former,  forming,  at  the  junction,  rather  an 
acute  angle,  into  which  the  Swedes  would  be  driven, 
in  the  event  of  a  defeat.  He  covered  these  lines  by 
several  redoubts,  hastily  thrown  up,  behind  which 
he  placed  his  cavalry  and  artillery.  Several  skir- 
jnishes  had  taken  place  before  Poltava,  in  one  of 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  213 

which  Charles  received  a  wound  from  a  shot,  which 
shattered  the  bone  of  his  heel,  and  obliged  him  to 
keep  his  bed  for  a  few  days,  after  undergoing  a 
painful  surgical  operation.  While  in  this  situation, 
he  received  intelligence  that  Peter  appeared  to  be 
meditating  a  general  attack;  upon  which  he  or- 
dered his  whole  army  to  be  drawn  out  from  the  in- 
trenchments,  to  receive  the  enemy,  and  caused  him- 
self to  be  carried  in  a  litter.  The  Swedes  com-' 
menced  the  battle,  and  made  so  vigorous  an  attack 
on  the  Russian  redoubts,  behind  which  the  cavalry 
was  posted,  that,  in  spite  of  a  heavy  and  continual 
fire  from  the  artillery,  they  carried  two  of  them 
sword  in  hand.  The  Russians  acted  with  great 
steadiness;  and  the  Czar,  as  major-general,  drew 
up  his  army  in  a  regular  and  masterly  style. 

The  troops  were  now  everyAvhere  engaged,  and 
the  battle  became  general.  The  right  wing  of  the 
Russians  was  commanded  by  General  Bauer,  the  left 
by  Prince  Menzikoff,  and  the  center  by  Field-mar- 
shal Scherematof.  The  action  lasted  two  hours. 
The  two  sovereigns  seemed  to  feel  that  they  were 
engaged  in  a  battle  which  was  to  decide  the  fate  of 
Bussia  or  Sweden.  They  were  everywhere  in  the 
front  of  their  respective  armies,  exposing  themselves 
to  the  very  hottest  of  the  fire.  Charles,  with  a 
pistol  in  his  hand,  Avas  carried  in  his  litter  from 
rank  to  rank ;  one  of  its  bearers  was  killed  by  a 
cannon-ball,  which  shattered  the  litter  in  pieces. 
Another  conveyance  was  instantly  provided ;  or,  as 


214  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Yoltaire  says,  he  then  ordered  his  men  to  carry  him 
upon  their  pikes.  Peter  received  several  shots  in 
his  clothes,  one  through  his  hat,  and  several  pierced 
his  saddle.  Menzikoff  had  three  horses  shot  under 
him. 

At  length  the  Swedes  gave  way  on  every  part, 
and  fell  into  confusion.  "  The  invincible  Swedes," 
says  Peter,  ' '  turned  their  backs,  and  their  whole 
army,  cavalry  as  well  as  infantry,  was  overthrown, 
with  very  little  loss  on  our  part. ' '  *  The  rout  now 
became  general,  and  the  slaughter  dreadful.  There 
remained  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  near  the  re- 
doubts, nine  thousand  two  hundred  and  twenty-four 
of  the  enemy,  besides  two  or  three  thousand  pris- 
oners, chiefly  cavalry,  that  were  taken  in  the  ac- 
tion. Among  them  were  Major-generals  Stackel- 
berg  and  Hamilton,  Marshal  Renschild,  the  Prince  of 
Wirtemberg,  and  many  other  officers. 

*'Thus,"  continues  the  Czar's  journal,  '' by  the 
favor  of  the  Almighty,  this  victory,  to  which  there 
are  few  to  be  compared,  was  obtained  with  little 
trouble  and  little  blood,  over  the  proud  King  of 
Sweden,  by  the  prudent  and  gallant  conduct  of  his 
majesty  in  person,  and  by  the  valor  of  his  chiefs 
and  soldiers :  for,  in  this  affair  of  such  great  impor- 
tance, his  majesty  exposed  himself,  for  his  subjects 
and  his  country,  without  sparing  his  own  person,  like 
a  true  and  great  captain.  It  may  be  added,  that  in 
this  great  combat,  our  first  line  only  was  engaged ; 

*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


IJFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  ^15 

the  second  was  not  brought  up  till  the  action  was 
over."  * 

On  the  evening  of  this  proud  day,  Peter  dined 
under  his  tent,  in  company  with  all  his  general  and 
field-officers,  and  invited,  also,  the  Swedish  general 
officers  who  had  been  made  prisoners  in  the  battle, 
Count  Piper,  the  Swedish  minister,  and  the  two 
secretaries  of  the  king,  Cederholm  and  Diben,  who 
had  all  surrendered  themselves.  In  the  course  of 
the  entertainment,  Peter  took  occasion  to  drink  a 
health  ' '  to  his  masters  in  the  art  of  war. ' '  Kens- 
child  inquired  whom  his  majesty  was  pleased  to 
honor  with  such  a  title  ?  "  Yourselves,  gentlemen, 
the  brave  Swedish  generals,"  replied  the  Czar. 
"  Then,"  asked  the  general,  ''  has  not  your  majes- 
ty been  somewhat  ungrateful  in  dealing  so  hardly 
with  your  masters  ?  ' '  Peter  was  not  displeased  at 
the  compliment,  and,  turning  to  the  general,  inquired 
what  number  of  men  the  King  of  Sweden  might 
actually  have  had  in  the  field  on  that  memorable 
day ;  and,  on  being  told  by  Kenschild  that  he  had 
about  nineteen  thousand  Swedes,  and  ten  or  eleven 
thousand  Cossacks, — ''How  is  it  possible,"  said 
the  Czar,  ' '  that  a  prince  so  prudent  as  the  King  of 
Sweden  could  have  thought  of  leading  such  a  hand- 
ful of  men  into  a  country  unknown  to  him,  and  es- 
pecially into  such  a  country  as  this  ?  "  To  which 
Kenschild  replied,  ' '  It  was  not  always  that  he  and 
his  brother  officers  were  consulted  respecting  the 
*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


216  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

operations  of  the  war,  but  as  faithful  subjects  they 
all  felt  it  was  their  duty  not  to  oppose,  but  to  obey, 
their  king. ' '  The  Czar  was  so  much  pleased  with 
this  reply,  that  he  took  his  own  sword  from  his  side, 
and,  presenting  it  to  Eenschild,  requested  he  would 
wear  it  as  a  token  of  esteem,  not  alone  for  his  valor, 
but  also  for  his  fidelity  to  his  sovereign.* 

He  made  many  anxious  inquiries  after  the  fate  of 
Charles ;  and,  as  none  of  the  prisoners  could  give 
any  information  of  what  had  befallen  him,  he  or- 
dered a  strict  search  to  be  made  among  the  slain,  to 
ascertain  whether  this  unfortunate  prince  had  not 
fallen  in  the  battle,  more  particularly  as  he  had 
been  told  that  his  litter  was  found  shattered  in  pieces. 

Charles,  however,  having  perceived  that  the  day 
was  lost,  and  that  his  only  chance  of  safety  was  to 
retire  with  the  utmost  precipitation,  suffered  himself 
to  be  mounted  on  horseback,  though  some  say  in 
Meyerfeldt's  carriage  with  twelve  horses,  and  with 
the  remains  of  his  army  under  Marshal  Lewenhaupt, 
fled  to  the  southward,  to  a  place  called  Perewolochna, 
situated  in  the  very  angle  formed  by  the  junction  of 
the  Yorskla  with  the  Dnieper, — the  exact  point  to 
which  the  Czar  had  supposed  he  would  retreat  in 
the  event  of  a  defeat.  Plere,  accompanied  by  the 
traitor  Mazeppa,  and  a  few  hundred  of  his  followers, 
Charles  swam  the  latter  great  river,  and  proceeding 
over  a  desolate  country,  in  danger  of  perishing  with 
hunger,  at  length  reached  the  Bog,  where  he  was 

*  Voltaire.    Nestesuranoi.    Mottley,  &c. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  ^17 

kindly  received  by  the  Turkish  pasha,  who  afforded 
him  refreshments  and  boats  to  pass  that  river.  The 
Czar  says,  however,  that  the  king  and  the  traitor 
Mazeppa,  having  presented  themselves  at  Otchakow, 
near  the  mouth  of  that  river,  the  pasha  could  not 
permit  them  to  enter  the  city,  for  fear  of  displeasing 
the  sultan ;  and  that  they  therefore  continued  their 
march  till  they  reached  Bender  on  tlie  Dniester. 
Here,  as  Voltaire  observes,  Charles  gave  a  proof  of 
that  unreasonable  obstinacy  which  occasioned  all 
his  misfortunes  in  Turkey,  and  led  to  a  series  of  ad- 
ventures more  becoming  an  Orlando  Furioso  *  than 
a  wise  prince — of  which  this  lively  writer  has  given 
a  narrative  that  appears  to  partake  more  of  romance 
than  of  truth.  The  proof  he  gave  of  his  obstinacy 
at  Bender  was  this,  that  when  advised  to  Avrite  to 
the  grand  vizier,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  Turks, 
he  said  it  was  beneath  his  dignity.  The  same  ob- 
stinacy placed  him  successively  at  variance  with  all 
the  ministers  of  the  Porte ;  in  short,  says  Yoltaire, 
"he  knew  not  how  to  accommodate  himself  either 
to  time  or  place,  "f 

But,  to  return  to  the  shattered  remains  of  the 
Swedish  army,  left  at  Perewolochna,  under  General 
Lewenhaupt,  and  which  are  stated,  in  the  Czar's 

*  Orlando  Furioso  (the  mad)  was  the  leading  character  in 
the  great  work  of  Ariosto  (1474-1533).  It  treated  of  fabulous, 
absurd,  and  frivolous  adventures  of  the  paladins  of  the  age  of 
Charlemagne. 

\  Yoltaire,  &c. 


218  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

journal,  to  amount  to  about  fourteen  thousand  men. 
On  the  evening  of  the  day  of  battle,  Lieutenant- 
general  Prince  Galitzin,  at  the  head  of  the  regi- 
ments of  guards,  and  Lieutenant-general  Bauer,  with 
the  dragoons,  amounting  together  to  about  ten 
thousand  men,  were  sent  in  pursuit.  On  the  30th, 
that  is,  three  days  after  the  battle,  Menzikoff,  with 
about  nine  hundred  men,  came  in  sight  of  the  enemy, 
posted  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Dnieper,  near  Perewolochna,  and  sent 
immediately  to  summon  Lewenhaupt  to  surrender, 
representing  to  him  that  all  retreat  and  hope  of 
safety  were  cut  off.  .  The  Swedish  general,  sensible 
that  this  was  the  case,  did  not  hesitate  to  conclude 
and  sign  a  treaty  the  same  day,  by  which  his  whole 
army  were  declared  to  be  prisoners  of  war,  and  all 
the  artillery,  with  the  military  chest,  the  chancellory, 
and  the  standards,  were  surrendered  to  the  victors. 
The  generals  here  taken  were  Lewenhaupt,  Schlip- 
penbach,  Eosen,  Stakelberg,  and  Creutz.  ''  Thus," 
says  the  Czar,  "by  the  favor  of  God,  all  this 
famous  army  of  the  enemy,  which,  during  its  stay 
in  Saxony,  had  been  the  terror  of  Europe,  fell  into 
the  hands  of  his  majesty ;  for  not  a  man  of  it  es- 
caped— all  but  a  few  hundreds,  which  passed  the 
Dnieper  with  the  king,  having  surrendered  them- 
selves to  the  victorious  arms  of  Russia."  ^ 

Though  Peter,  greatly  admired  the  gallant  spirit 
of  his  brother  Charles,  as  he  used  to  call  him,  yet, 

*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  gift 

when  he  looked  upon  the  Swedish  prisoners,  the  fate 
of  so  many  unhappy  men  touched  him  sensibly,  and 
he  more  than  once  spoke  of  the  indignation  he  felt 
at  the  conduct  of  a  prince  who  could  sacrifice,  in  so 
wanton  and  useless  a  manner,  to  his  ambition,  so 
many  brave  and  faithful  subjects,  of  whom  he  ought 
to  have  been  the  father  and  protector.  At  the  same 
time,  whatever  Peter's  feelings  may  have  been  at 
the  sight  of  so  many  gallant  men,  reduced  to  such  a 
deplorable  condition,  they  did  not  prevent  him  from 
giving  orders  that  the  greater  part  of  them  should 
be  sent  to  Siberia,  then  a  wild,  uninhabited,  and 
barren  country.  To  this  measure  we  must  mainly 
ascribe  those  improvements  which  have  now  made 
a  large  portion  of  Siberia,  not  only  habitable,  but  a 
desirable  place  of  residence ;  but  it  is  melancholy  to 
reflect  that,  for  the  mere  gratification  of  the  per- 
sonal vanity  of  one  man,  so  many  thousand  lives 
should  have  been  wantonly  sacrificed,  and  that  of 
the  80, 000  brave  fellows  who  marched  in  full  health 
and  vigor  to  the  slaughter,  not  one  in  one  thousand, 
probably,  was  destined  ever  to  return  to  his  country 
and  his  friends.  Charles  had  not  even  the  plea  of 
state  necessity  or  expediency  to  urge  for  this  Quixo- 
tic expedition ;  he  would  seem,  indeed,  to  have  for- 
gotten that  he  had  a  country :  Glory  was  the  mis- 
tress he  courted  and  fought  for — but  she  deserted 
him,  and  fled  to  his  more  fortunate  and  more  deserv- 
ing rival ;  for  Peter,  to  say  the  least,  had  his  coun- 
try's weal  at  heart. 


220  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

All  Europe  felt  the  effects  of  the  battle  of  Pol- 
tava. The  Saxons  called  out  loudly  for  revenge  on 
a  prince  who  had  pillaged  and  plundered  their  coun- 
try. Their  elector,  Augustus,  issued  his  protest 
against  an  extorted  abdication,  and  was  impatient 
to  reascend  the  Polish  throne.  The  Poles  were  now 
ready  to  assist  him,  and  King  Stanislaus  declared 
himself  equally  ready  to  abdicate,  if  required  to  do 
so.  Sweden  was  in  a  state  of  the  greatest  conster- 
nation, supposing  for  a  long  time  her  king  to  be 
dead,  and  under  this  uncertainty  was  incapable  of 
coming  to  any  resolution.  The  influence  of  this 
great  battle,  if  we  were  to  believe  Voltaire,  ex- 
tended even  to  England ;  but  here  he  is  under  a 
mistake  as  to  facts. 

In  1708  it  happened  that  the  Russian  ambassador 
Matveief  was  arrested  in  London  for  debt,  and,  after 
a  long  correspondence  between  the  two  courts,  the 
parliament  passed  an  act  to  prevent  in  future  the 
arrest  of  an  ambassador  for  debt ;  and  Queen  Anne 
sent  Mr.  (afterward  Lord)  Whitworth  to  Russia,  in 
the  character  of  an  ambassador  extraordinary,  with 
an  explanatory  and  apologetical  letter  to  the  Czar, 
solely  on  that  occasion ;  but,  says  Yoltaire,  after  the 
battle  of  Poltava  it  became  necessary  to  give  a  more 
public  satisfaction  to  the  Czar ;  and  Mr.  Whitworth 
opened  his  speech  with  the  following  words,  * ' '  Most 
high  and  most  mighty  emjperor !  ' — the  acknowl- 
edgment was  sufficient,  and  the  title  of  emperor^ 
which  the  Queen  had  not  given  him  hefore  the  hattU 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  221 

of  Poltava^  plainly  showed  the  degree  of  estimation 
to  which  he  was  now  raised  in  Europe."  l^ow, 
Yoltaire  must  have  known,  when  he  wrote  this, 
that  Queen  Anne  neither  did  nor  could  know  w^hat 
had  happened  at  Poltava  when  Mr.  Whit  worth  was 
despatched  from  England.  Her  letter  to  the  Czar 
is  dated  in  the  early  part  of  August ;  the  battle  was 
fought  on  the  9th  July,  and  intelligence,  at  that 
time  was  not  conveyed  from  the  lowest  part  of  the 
Ukraine  to  Moscow,  and  from  Moscow  to  England, 
in  something  less  than  a  month.  Besides,  the 
Czars,  before  Peter's  time,  had  been  not  unfrequent- 
ly  addressed  by  the  title  of  emperor. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Peter  gained  a  de- 
gree of  reputation  from  the  victory  of  Poltava  which 
greatly  facilitated  the  conquests  that  immediately 
followed  it.  The  first  w^as  that  of  Elbing,  the  Swe- 
dish garrison  of  which  surrendered  themselves,  and 
an  immense  quantity  of  guns,  mortars,  and  ammu- 
nition, into  the  hands  of  the  besiegers.  The  Czar, 
before  the  winter  was  over,  had  invested  Wyberg, 
the  chief  town  of  Carelia,  on  the  northern  shore  of 
the  Gulf  of  Finland.  Kiga  was  next  besieged ;  but 
a  dreadful  pestilence  was  then  raging  in  this  part 
of  Livonia,  which  is  said  to  have  swept  away  from 
eight  to  nine  thousand  Kussians;  the  Czar  makes 
his  loss  amount  to  9800  men ;  and  on  this  account 
they  turned  the  siege  into  a  blockade.  About  the 
middle  of  July,  1710,  the  garrison  capitulated,  on 
condition  that  all  the  Livonian  officers  and  soldiers 


222  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

should  remain  in  the  service  of  the  Czar,  as  na- 
tives of  a  country  that  had  once  belonged  to  Russia, 
but  had  been  wrested  from  her  by  the  predecessors 
of  Charles  XII.,  and  stripped  of  its  ancient  privi- 
leges. The  surrender  of  Pernau  and  Revel  com- 
pleted the  conquest  of  Livonia.  Count  Stremberg, 
the  governor  of  Riga,  stated  that  the  pestilence 
had  destroyed  little  short  of  60,000  persons  among 
the  huddled  population  of  that  city  and  its  suburbs. 
But  the  most  striking  and  immediate  effect  of  this 
victory  was  that  which  it  produced  on  the  Poles, 
whose  great  anxiety  seemed  to  be  the  speedy  re- 
moval of  King  Stanislaus,  to  make  room  for  the 
reinstatement  of  King  Augustus,  who  was  equally 
ready  to  resume  the  throne  he  had  been  compelled 
to  abdicate.  With  this  view  he  hastened  to  Thorn, 
to  make  his  reconciliation  with  Peter  for  his  former 
defection,  where  the  meeting  took  place  privately 
in  the  king's  yacht.  Irritable  as  the  temper  of  the 
Czar  generally  was,  his  disposition  was  very  far 
from  being  implacable ;  in  the  present  instance  he 
had  the  gratification  of  restoring  a  monarch  to  his 
crown,  and  the  political  motive  of  including  Poland 
with  the  kings  of  Denmark  and  Prussia  in  a  treaty 
against  Sweden,  the  object  of  which  was  to  recover 
from  Charles  all  the  conquests  of  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus — Russia  setting  up  pretensions  to  her  ancient 
possessions  of  Livonia,  Ingria,  and  a  part  of  Fin- 
land ;  Denmark  laying  claim  to  Scania ;  and  Prussia/ 
to  Pomerania. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  223 

After  this  interview  the  Czar  proceeded  to  Prus- 
sia, where  he  had  a  meeting  with  the  king,  at  Mari- 
enwerder,  and  completed  a  treaty  with  him,  in  his 
own  person ;  for  Peter  had  seldom  occasion  for  the 
assistance  of  an  ambassador  in  his  negotiations. 
"With  his  usual  activity  he  then  turned  to  Riga,  to 
give  directions  respecting  the  future  government  of 
that  place ;  thence  to  St.  Petersburg,  to  inspect  the 
progress  of,  and  give  the  necessary  orders  respect- 
ing, the  buildings  and  arrangements  of  his  new  and 
favorite  capital,  which  he  never  lost  sight  of.  A 
letter  in  his  own  hand  appeared  among  the  family 
papers  of  Apraxin,  dated  from  the  camp  at  Poltava, 
at  nine  in  the  evening  of  the  day  of  battle,  which 
has  this  paragraph:  ''At  length,  thank  God,  the 
foundation-stone  of  St.  Petersburg  is  laid. ' '  While 
at  St.  Petersburg  he  laid  down  the  keel  of  a  large  ship 
of  war,  and  then  set  off  for  Moscow,  where  he  found 
preparations  making  for  the  exhibition  of  a  splendid 
triumph,  by  which  the  grateful  citizens  meant  to 
express  their  sense  of  the  distinguished  and  impor- 
tant services  rendered  by  him  to  his  country. 


CHAPTEE  IX, 

The  Battle  of  the  Pruth. 

Charles  XII.  had  no  sooner  reached  Bender,  and 
experienced  the  hospitality  of  the  Turks,  than  he 
despatched  Poniatowski,  to  Constantinople,  with  in- 
structions to  use  all  the  means  he  could  devise  to 
induce  the  vizier  to  prevail  on  his  master  to  com- 
mence hostilities  against  the  Russians,  taking  care 
to  impress  strongly  on  his  mind  a  conviction  that 
their  next  object  would  be  to  invade  some  part  of 
the  grand  seignior's  dominions.  He  conceived  that 
such  a  representation  would  produce  its  effect  on 
the  Turks ;  and  accordingly  he  was  soon  informed 
by  his  ambassador,  that  he  had  succeeded  so  well 
with  the  vizier  as  to  leave  no  doubt  of  his  forthwith 
publishing  a  declaration  of  war  against  Russia,  for 
that  this  minister  had  told  him,  ' '  he  would  take 
him  (Charles)  in  one  hand,  and  his  sword  in  the 
other,  and  conduct  him  to  Moscow,  at  the  head  of 
200,000  men."  This  piece  of  gasconade,  however, 
whether  of  Poniatowski  or  the  vizier,  did  not  avail 
the  King  of  Sweden,  who  learned,  with  great  morti- 
fication, that  CouDt  Tolstoy,  the  Czar's  envoy,  was 

224 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  225 

in  such  high  favor  at  the  Sublime  Porte,  that  he 
had  demanded,  and  was  all  but  promised,  that  the 
traitor  Mazeppa  should  be  delivered  up  to  Peter,  as 
Charles  had  demanded,  and  obtained  possession  of, 
the  unfortunate  Patkul ;  but  the  old  hetman  of  the 
Cossacks  escaped  this  fate  by  taking  a  disease  which 
hastened  his  death. 

But  the  object  which  the  King  of  Sweden  was 
unable  to  effect  through  the  means  of  one  vizier 
was  brought  about  by  a  new  one,  in  conjunction 
with  the  khan  of  the  Crimean  Tartars,  the  latter  of 
whom  had  become  apprehensive,  and  not  without 
reason,  of  so  formidable  a  neighbor  as  had  now  got 
possession  of  Azof.  The  Porte,  too,  had  taken 
umbrage  at  the  appearance  of  Russian  ships  on  the 
Sea  of  Azof  and  the  Black  Sea,  and  was  alarmed 
at  the  building  of  so  many  ships  on  the  Don,  and  at 
the  extensive  works  carrying  on  in  the  harbor  of 
Taganrog.  It  seems  this  khan  of  the  Crimea  had 
paid  a  visit  to  Charles  at  Bender,  where  such  a 
statement  of  complaints  and  grievances  was  con- 
cocted between  them  as,  on  being  presented  by 
Poniatowski,  tended  greatly  to  awaken  the  sultan's 
jealousy  of  the  intentions  of  the  Russians.  The 
khan  proceeded  to  Constantinople,  and  demanded 
an  audience  of  the  sultan.  '  He  confirmed  all  that 
was  stated  in  the  memorial,  and  added  that  the 
Russians  were  committing  all  kinds  of  ravages  on 
the  frontiers  of  the  Turkish  provinces,  murdering 
innocent  believers,  and  plundering  them  of  their 
15 


226  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

property;  and  concluded  with  a  request  that  the 
great  council  should  forthwith  be  called  together, 
in  order  to  ascertain  their  sentiments  on  the  immi- 
nent dangers  that  threatened  the  whole  Ottoman  em- 
pire. The  council  met  accordingly,  and,  without 
examining  the  question,  decided  that  war  was  ad- 
visable, and  the  sooner  it  was  declared  the  better. 
The  question  was  then  put  to  the  mufti,  whether  it 
was  lawful  to  go  to  war,  according  to  the  Koran. 
The  reply  of  the  mufti  was  short  and  pithy, — "  The 
law  answers,  it  is  necessary."  Upon  this  Count 
Tolstoy,  the  Czar's  ambassador,  was  arrested  in  the 
public  streets  of  Constantinople,  and  committed, 
together  with  his  domestics,  to  the  castle  of  the 
Seven  Towers. 

' '  Never, ' '  says  Yoltaire,  ' '  was  sovereign  more 
offended  in  the  person  of  his  ministers  than  the 
Czar  of  Muscovy.  Within  the  space  of  a  few 
years,  his  ambassador  at  the  court  of  London  was 
imprisoned  for  debt ;  his  plenipotentiary  in  Poland 
and  Saxony  was  broken  on  the  wheel  by  order  of  the 
King  of  Sweden ;  and  his  minister  to  the  Porte  was 
seized  and  imprisoned  at  Constantinople,  like  a  com- 
mon malefactor. ' ' 

The  Czar  lost  not  a  moment  in  making  prepara- 
tions for  a  Turkish  campaign,  by  ordering  a  division 
of  his  army  to  advance  from  Poland  to  Moldavia. 
The  Field-marshal  Scherematof  was  directed  to 
march  from  Livonia  with  another  body  of  troops 
towards  the  same  quarter.     Admiral  Apraxin  was 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  227 

to  take  command  of  the  fleet  at  Azof  and  on  the 
Black  Sea;  Admiral  Cruys,  a  Dutchman,  to  guard 
the  coasts  of  Livonia  in  the  Baltic;  and  Prince 
Menzikofi!  was  left  at  the  head  of  affairs  in  St. 
Petersburg.  Peter,  having  made  these  dispositions, 
set  out  for  Moscow  to  arrange  matters  for  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  government  during  his  absence 
in  the  approaching  campaign.  He  appointed  a  re- 
gency of  eight  senators,  among  whom  were  Prince  P. 
Galitzin  and  Prince  M.  Dolgorouki,  who  proceeded 
to  the  church  of  the  Assumption,  and  there,  in  pres- 
ence of  his  majesty,  the  senate,  and  the  principal 
authorities,  took  an  oath  to  fulfil  their  duties 
with  honor,  integrity,  and  activity ;  to  be  faithful 
to  the  sovereign  and  the  state,  to  observe  strict 
justice  in  all  matters  public  and  private,  and  lastly, 
to  act  with  good  faith  as  well  with  regard  to  the 
levying  of  money  and  men  as  in  all  other  things  re- 
lating to  the  interests  of  the  state.  At  the  same 
time,  as  some  inconvenience  was  felt  in  the  army, 
from  the  necessity  of  raising  persons  of  low  descrip- 
tion to  the  rank  of  officers,  while  the  sons  of  the 
nobility  studiously  avoided  the  service,  Peter  sent 
an  ordinance  to  the  senate,  directing  them  to  as- 
semble all  those  of  a  certain  age,  and  to  enrol  them 
among  the  conscripts.  He  gave  orders,  also,  that 
the  army  of  Livonia,  which  had  suffered  so  much 
from  the  plague,  should  be  forthwith  completed  by 
recruits,  to  be  sent  to  the  frontier  of  Wallachia.* 
*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand, 


228  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Having  completed  his  arrangements  at  Moscow, 
he  caused  it  to  be  declared  solemnly  in  public,  on 
the  6th  March,  1711,  that  her  majesty  the  Czarjna 
Catharine  Alexiuna,  was  the  true  and  legitimate 
wife  of  the  Emperor  Peter  I.*  Yoltaire  says  he 
had  privately  married  the  young  captive  of  Marien- 
burg  in  1707,  but  that  the  marriage  was  only  made 
public  the  same  day  on  which  he  set  out  with  his 
consort,  in  order  to  measure  his  strength  with  the 
Ottoman  Porte.  It  is  frequently  difficult  to  recon- 
cile the  different  dates  given  by  different  writers  of 
the  Czar's  story.  Captain  Bruce,  who  was  himself 
present  on  the  spot,  says,  "  On  the  17th  (May)  we 
arrived  at  Warsaw,  and  at  Jaweroff  on  the  29th, 
where  we  found  the  Czar  and  Czarina,  and  there 
they  were  privately  married,  at  which  ceremony 
the  general  (Bruce)  was  present,  and  upon  this  oc- 
casion he  was  made  master-general  of  the  ordnance, 
in  the  room  of  the  Prince  of  Melita,  who  died  a 
prisoner  in  Sweden.  General  Bruce  was  at  this 
time  knight  of  four  orders,  namely,  St.  Andrew,  the 
White  Eagle,  the  Black  Eagle,  and  the  Elephant;  " 
and  here  he  adds,  ' '  I  received  my  commission  as 
captain  in  the  artillery,  and  engineer. ' '  f  Peter  I. 
will  probably  be  considered  to  know  more  correctly 
than  Peter  Bruce  the  day  on  which,  and  the  place 
where,  he  was  married.  It  is  possible,  however, 
that  having  here  joined  the  army,   he  may  have 

*  Memoirs  of  Peter  Henry  Bruce. 
t  Ibid, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  ^20 

thought  it  right  to  repeat  the  declaration  before 
made  in  Moscow. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  Catharine  accompanied  her 
august  husband  to  the  war  in  Turkey.  This  extra- 
ordinary woman  proved  herself  in  all  respects,  and 
under  all  circumstances,  superior  to  her  sex,  as  well 
as  to  her  birth  and  her  early  misfortunes.  To  the 
Czar  she  was  all  in  all ;  she  stood  in  the  same  rela- 
tion to  him  that  the  kind-hearted  Josephine  did  to 
Napoleon ;  both  had  been  the  mistresses  of  the  men 
they  married,  and  also  of  others  before  them ;  both 
possessed  the  art,  or  rather  the  natural  and  persua- 
sive manners,  to  smooth  down  the  asperity,  assuage 
the  anger,  and  allay  the  excitements  to  which  their 
respective  husbands  were  but  too  prone ;  they  both 
ascended  an  imperial  throne ;  but  here  the  parallel 
ends — the  one  was  most  undeservedly  cast  aside, 
on  the  pretense  of  political  expediency ;  the  other 
maintained  her  high  station,  and  succeeded  as  sole 
autocratrix  of  all  the  Kussias.  The  cheerfulness 
and  liveliness  of  Catharine's  temper,  the  sweetness 
and  complacency  of  her  disposition,  her  mild  and 
affable  behavior,  her  unremitting  attention  and  un- 
wearied assiduity,  her  agreeable  manners  and  con- 
versation, had  acquired  such  an  ascendency  over 
the  mind  of  Peter,  that  he  was  never  so  happy  as 
when  she  was  near  his  person.  It  has  been  men- 
tioned that  the  Czar  was  subject  to  that  particular 
species  of  spasmodic  disorder  which  has  been  called 
catalepsy :  whenever  this  happened,  and  CatharinQ 


^30       LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

was  Avithin  call,  she  was  always  sent  for ;  and  such 
was  the  fascination  of  her  presence,  that,  from  the 
moment  his  eye  caught  her  smiling  face  and  his  ear 
was  greeted  with  the  soft  accents  of  her  voice,  the 
muscles  began  to  relax,  his  agony  was  composed, 
his  mind  became  tranquil,  and  in  a  short  time 
'-^  Peter  was  himself  again;"  just  as  the  sweet 
tones  of  David's  harp  had  the  power  to  draw  out 
from  Saul  the  evil  spirit  that  tormented  him.  She 
attended  him  in  all  his  travels  and  his  most  hazard- 
ous expeditions,  sharing  his  fatigues  and  soothing 
his  cares, — in  fact,  she  became  necessary  to  his 
health,  his  comfort,  and  even  to  his  existence. 

General  Gordon  says,  ' '  She  was  a  very  pretty, 
well-lookt  woman,  of  good  sense,  but  not  of  that 
sublimity  of  wit,  or  rather  that  quickness  of  imag- 
ination, which  some  people  have  believed.  The 
great  reason  why  the  Czar  was  so  fond  of  her  w^as 
her  exceeding  good  temper;  she  never  was  seen 
peevish  or  out  of  humor ;  obliging  and  civil  to  all, 
and  never  forgetful  of  her  former  condition ;  withal 
mighty  grateful."*  Many  a  wretch  escaped  the 
effects  of  the  Czar's  wrath  by  her  interposition. 
''Catharine,"  says  Voltaire,  "saved  more  backs 
from  the  knout,  and  more  heads  from  the  block, 
than  General  Le  Fort  had  ever  done."  Great  in- 
deed must  have  been  the  merit  of  this  woman,  who, 
having  risen  to  the  most  elevated  station  from  an 
obscure  and  almost  unknown  origin,  maintained  her 

*  Gordon's  History  of  Peter  the  Great. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  231 

lofty  position  without  incurring  the  envy,  hatred, 
or  even  jealousy  of  those  over  whom  it  washer  des- 
tiny to  rule. 

' '  Catharine, ' '  says  Coxe,  who  cites  from  compe- 
tent authorities,  ^'maintained  the  pomp  of  majesty 
united  with  an  air  of  ease  and  grandeur ;  and  Peter 
frequently  expressed  his  admiration  at  the  propriety 
with  which  she  supported  her  high  station,  without 
forgetting  that  she  was  not  born  to  that  dignity. 
She  bore  her  elevation  meekly,  and  was  never,  as 
Gordon  asserts,  forgetful  of  her  former  condition. 
When  Wurmb,  who  had  been  tutor  to  Gluck's  chil- 
dren, at  the  time  that  Catharine  was  a  domestic  in 
the  same  family,  presented  himself  before  her,  after 
the  public  solemnization  of  her  marriage  with  Peter, 
she  said,  '  What !  thou  good  man,  art  thou  still 
alive  ?  I  will  provide  for  thee ; '  and  gave  him  a 
pension.  She  was  also  no  less  attentive  to  the 
family  of  her  benefactor  Gluck,  who  died  a  prisoner 
at  Moscow :  she  pensioned  his  widow,  made  his  son 
a  page,  portioned  the  two  eldest  daughters,  and  ap- 
pointed the  youngest  a  maid  of  honor."* 

At  Sorokat  the  Czar  joined  the  main  body  of  the 
army,  which  is  described  by  Bruce  to  have  consisted 
of  five  divisions  of  6000  men  each,  commanded  by 
Marshal  Scherematof ;  the  first  was  the  Czar's  own 
division,  the  second  General  Weyde's,  the  third 
Prince  Kepnin's,  the  fourth  General  liallard's  (or 
Allard's),  and  the  fifth  General  EeutzePs;  in  all 
*  Coxe's  Travels  in  Russia. 


232  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

30,000  foot,  attended  by  a  very  numerous  train  of 
artillery.  Thirty  thousand  dragoons  had  been  de- 
tached to  destroy  a  fortress  and  magazine,  erected 
by  the  Turks  upon  the  Dniester,  a  little  above  Ben- 
der; besides  these,  50,000  Calmuck  Tartars  and 
20,000  Cossacks  were  on  their  march  to  join  the 
army,  which  would  then  amount  to  130, 000.  *  None 
of  these,  however,  arrived,  and  the  whole  of  the 
Eussian  army  on  the  Pruth  did  not  exceed,  but 
rather  fell  short  of,  40,000  men, — a  considerable 
corps  under  General  Renne  having  crossed  to  the 
eastern  side  of  Moldavia,  upon  the  river  Sireth. 

His  majesty,  being  now  resolved  to  march  with- 
out waiting  for  the  rest  of  his  forces  to  join,  issued 
a  general  order  for  all  the  women  who  attended  the 
army  to  be  sent  away  :  the  Czarina,  however,  was  not 
thus  to  be  disposed  of ;  she  insisted  on  accompany- 
ing his  majesty,  and  she  knew  well  she  would  not 
be  refused.  Her  husband,  apprehensive  of  exposing 
her  to  a  danger  which  every  day  became  more  men- 
acing, wished  her  to  return ;  but  Catharine  consid- 
ered this  solicitude  of  Peter  as  an  affront  to  her  affec- 
tion and  her  courage.  She  urged  her  husband  in 
such  strong  terms  that  Peter  found  it  impossible  to 
deprive  himself  of  her  company,  f  The  soldiers  with 
joy  beheld  her  on  horseback  at  the  head  of  the  army, 
for  she  rarely  used  a  carriage.  Her  presence  gave 
encouragement   and    diffused   alacrity   among  the 

*  Memoirs  of  Peter  Henry  Bruce. 
\  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  233 

troops ;  she  was  always  ready  to  send  refreshments 
and  assistance  to  the  sick,  whether  officers  or  private 
soldiers.  The  general  officers,  knowing  her  influence 
with  the  Czar,  petitioned  her  to  obtain  the  same 
liberty  for  their  wives  that  they  might  attend  her 
majesty,  which  was  also  granted.  After  this,  the 
wives  of  the  other  officers,  conceiving  themselves 
equally  entitled  to  the  indulgence,  prevailed  on  the 
good-natured  Catharine  to  intercede  for  them,  which 
she  readily  undertook  to  do,  and  the  result  was  that 
they  all  went,  notwithstanding  the  prohibitory  or- 
der. '' This  circumstance,"  says  Bruce,  "although 
it  considerably  augmented  the  train  of  our  baggage, 
proved  in  the  end  a  very  fortunate  one. ' '  He  might 
well  say  so — it  proved  the  salvation  of  the  Czar,  his 
army,  and  perhaps  of  Eussia — all  of  which  were 
placed  in  imminent  peril  by  the  misplaced  confidence 
of  Peter  and  the  incautious  rapidity  of  his  move- 
ments. 

Peter  proceeded  from  Sorokat  towards  Jassy,  the 
capital  of  Moldavia,  having  entered  into  a  secret  en- 
gagement with  Brancovan,  Prince  of  Wallachia, 
who  not  only  undertook  to  join  the  Czar  with  his 
whole  force,  but  to  provide  his  army  abundantly 
with  provisions  and  forage.  Whether  he  was  a 
traitor,  or  meant  to  act  with  good  faith,  was  never 
brought  to  the  test ;  for  the  sultan,  having  been  in- 
formed of  his  intended  revolt,  had  deprived  him  of 
his  principality :  and  having  some  suspicion  of  the 
fidelity  of  Mavrocordato,  who  was  the  Hospodar  of 


234  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Moldavia,  the  sultan  deposed  him  too,  and  appointed 
Cantimir  Prince  or  Hospodar  of  Wallachia,  who 
was  directed  to  proceed  forthwith,  with  orders  to 
seize  Brancovan,  under  color  of  friendship,  or  on 
any  other  pretense,  and  send  him,  dead  or  alive,  to 
Constantinople ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  throw  a 
bridge  over  the  Dniester,  to  facilitate  the  passage  of 
his  army  to  oppose  the  Russians.  Cantimir,  being 
a  Christian,  had  experienced  how  little  faith  was  to 
be  expected  from  the  Turk,  and  as  a  Christian 
prince,  he  felt  bound  in  honor,  and  for  the  cause  of 
the  Christian  religion,  to  forsake  that  of  the  infidel, 
and  make  an  offer  of  himself  and  his  principality  to 
the  Czar.  Peter,  however,  having  been  deceived 
by  Brancovan,  was  not  disposed  to  place  much  con- 
fidence in  the  sincerity  of  Cantimir.  He  had  waited 
three  days  at  Jassy  for  the  expected  supplies  of  men 
and  provisions  promised  by  Brancovan ;  but  finding 
that  the  envoy  of  that  Hospodar  only  answered  him 
with  unceasing  compliments  and  ceremonies,  and 
having  reason  to  suspect  the  honesty  of  his  master, 
he  began  to  think  that  he  had  placed  himself  pretty 
much  in  the  same  condition  with  his  brother  Charles, 
when  invited  into  the  Ukraine  by  Mazeppa. 

Something,  however,  was  necessary  to  be  done. 
His  army  had  been  brought  into  a  wild  and  barren 
country,  destitute  of  provisions  and  forage.  The 
swarms  of  locusts  that  obscure  the  face  of  the  sun 
when  in  flight,  and  cover  the  whole  surface  of  the 
ground  when  at  rest,  had  eaten  up  every  blade  of 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  235 

grass,  and  every  green  herb ;  there  was  no  water 
but  what  the  river  afforded ;  their  magazines  were 
nearly  exhausted,  and  the  army  considered  itself  be- 
trayed and  surrounded  by  enemies;  and,  though 
Cantimir  had  proffered  to  join  him,  he  honestly  ad- 
mitted that  his  Moldavian  subjects  were  attached  to 
the  Porte,  and  hostile  to  the  Eussians.  In  this  dis- 
astrous situation,  Peter  had,  at  least,  the  satisfaction 
to  find  that  not  a  man  deserted  nor  a  murmur  es- 
caped from  his  army. 

The  Russian  soldier  has  always  sustained  the 
character  which  was  formed  under  Peter.  '^He 
will  not, ' '  says  a  writer,  who  knew  them  well,  ' '  fall 
back  one  step  while  his  commander  bravely  keeps 
his  ground;  he  contents  himself  with  extremely 
little  pay,  and  with  very  slender  diet,  and  is  always 
cheerful ;  hungry  and  thirsty,  he  traverses  the  heavy 
sands  of  the  deserts  under  the  load  of  his  accoutre- 
ments without  murmur  or  complaint;  executes 
every  command ;  reckons  nothing  impossible  or  too 
difficult ;  does  everything  that  he  is  ordered,  with- 
out shunning  any  danger;  and  is  inventive  of  a 
thousand  means  for  accomplishing  his  design."  * 

With  such  men  the  Czar  was  on  the  eve  of  en- 
countering an  immensely  superior  force  in  point  of 
numbers.  The  enemy  was  close  at  hand,  for  the 
grand  vizier,  Baltaji  Mehemet,  having  understood 
that  the  Russian  army  had  arrived  at  Jassy,  imme- 
diately put  his  troops  in  march,  and  crossed  the  Dan- 
*  Tooke's  View  of  the  Russian  Empire, 


^36       LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

ube  at  the  head  of  100, 000  men.  In  marching  along 
the  Pruth  he  deputed  the  Count  Poniatowski  to 
wait  on  the  King  of  Sweden  at  Bender,  and  invite 
him  to  pay  him  a  visit  and  inspect  his  army ;  but 
Charles  would  not  condescend  to  such  a  step,  but 
insisted  upon  the  grand  vizier  visiting  him  first.  On 
Poniatowski  apologizing  for  Charles,  the  vizier, 
turning  to  the  Khan  of  the  Tartars,  observed, 
"  This  is  just  what  I  expected,  that  the  proud 
infidel  would  behave  in  this  manner. ' ' 

Peter  was  about  the  same  time  passing  the  Dnies- 
ter, where  a  council  of  war  was  held  in  General 
Bruce's  tent,  and  Prince  Cantimir's  letter  was 
read.  The  Czar  declared  his  intention  to  march 
forward  to  meet  the  enemy,  without  Avaiting  the 
junction  of  the  rest  of  the  troops ;  all  the  generals 
expressed  their  approbation  of  the  measure,  except 
General  Hallard,  who  said  nothing.  The  Czar, 
observing  his  silence,  ordered  him  to  declare  his 
sentiments,  and  to  give  his  opinion  freely;  the 
general  replied,  that  as  the  council  were  so  unan- 
imous, he  never  would  have  made  any  objection,  had 
not  his  majesty  insisted  on  his  declaring  his  senti- 
ments ;  he  then  frankly  told  the  Czar  he  was  very 
much  surprised  that  the  King  of  Sweden's  misfor- 
tune did  not  serve  as  a  sufficient  warning ;  for  that 
prince  had  been  misled  by  the  advice  of  the  traitor 
Mazeppa,  and  he  could  not  help  thinking  their 
present  state  was  a  similar  one.  The  Prince  of 
Moldavia,  he   said,    has   already  disappointed   us; 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  237 

and,  for  any  security  we  have,  the  Prince  of  Wal- 
lachia  may  do  the  same ;  although  he  should  mean 
well  himself,  yet  he  may  want  the  power  to  serve 
us;  for  it  is  to  be  feared  that  his  troops,  who  have 
long  been  used  to  the  Turkish  government,  will  not 
enter  into  his  sentiments.^ 

The  general  was  but  too  good  a  prophet.  The 
march,  however,  was  resolved  on;  ''and  we  set 
out,"  says  Captain  Bruce,  "  the  same  night,  to 
avoid  the  intense  heat  of  the  day,  and  continued  to 
march  for  three  nights  through  a  barren,  desert 
heath,  without  a  drop  of  water  all  the  way,  which 
was  severely  felt  both  by  man  and  beast.  On  the 
18th  June,  we  arrived  at  the  river  Pruth,  where 
we  lost  a  number  of  our  baggage-horses  by  their 
drinking  too  plentifully  of  the  water.  We  passed 
the  river  on  the  19th,  near  Jassy,  the  capital  and 
residence  of  the  Prince  of  Moldavia.  At  this  place 
Prince  Cantimir  joined  us  in  person,  with  very  few 
attendants,  both  the  Wallachian  and  Moldavian 
troops  having  left  him,  for  fear  of  the  Turks.  We 
continued  our  march  down  the  Pruth  till  the  21st, 
when  we  met  a  prodigious  swarm  of  locusts,  which, 
at  their  rising,  overshadowed  the  whole  army,  like 
a  cloud ;  they  had  not  only  destroyed  the  grass  of 
the  fields,  but  also  the  tender  bark  and  leaves  of 
the  trees :  here  again  we  lost  a  number  of  our  car- 
riage-cattle for  want  of  forage.  It  was  very  re- 
markable that  the  locusts  never  left  our  army,  and 

*  Bruce's  Memoirs, 


238  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

we  no  sooner  pitched  our  tents  than  they  came 
down  and  covered  the  whole  camp.  We  tried,  by 
firing  of  cannon  and  small  arms,  and  burning  trains 
of  powder  on  the  ground,  to  drive  them  away,  but 
all  in  vain ;  they  attended  us  on  our  march  along 
the  river,  till  the  27th,  when  we  discovered  the 
Turkish  army  crossing  the  Pruth.  Upon  this  Gen- 
eral Janus  was  detached,  with  a  body  of  troops 
and  twelve  pieces  of  cannon,  to  dispute  their  pas- 
sage ;  but  he  was  too  late,  for  half  their  army  had 
passed  before  he  could  get  up  to  them,  so  that  he 
found  it  prudent  to  retreat  to  the  main  body  of  the 
army.  It  was  very  surprising  that  we  had  not  the 
least  intelligence  of  so  numerous  an  army,  which 
consisted  of  not  less  than  200,000  men,  till  they 
were  actually  within  sight  of  us."* 

This  bold  maneuver  of  the  Turks  made  it  neces- 
sary for  the  Czar  to  form  his  line  of  battle,  and 
bring  them  to  an  immediate  engagement ;  but  they 
kept  without  the  range  of  cannon-shot,  endeavoring 
with  their  numerous  cavalry  to  surround  the  Kus- 
sians,  and  cut  them  off  from  the  river :  but  in  this 
they  failed ;  for  Peter,  seeing  what  their  intention 
was,  ordered  his  troops  to  fall  back,  so  as  to  extend 
along  the  right  bank  of  the  Pruth.  The  different 
corps  of  the  army  were  all  separated  in  the  dark, 
and  as  a  great  number  of  their  horses  had  perished, 
it  was  found  expedient  to  burn  many  of  their  bag- 
gage-wagons, to  prevent  their  falling  into  the  en- 
*  Memoirs  of  Peter  Henry  Bruce. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  239 

emy's  hands.  These  fires  sufficiently  indicated  to 
the  Turks  the  state  of  confusion  in  which  the  army 
of  their  opponents  was,  ' '  which, ' '  says  Bruce, 
' '  afforded  them  a  fine  opportunity  to  destroy  our 
whole  army,  and  they  might  easily  have  done  it 
with  a  small  part  of  theirs ; ' '  but  it  seems  they  were 
busily  employed  in  intrenching  themselves.  At 
daybreak  the  Czar  collected  his  army,  and  formed 
it  into  a  hollow  square,  the  river  serving  for  the 
fourth  side,  and  the  wagons  were  formed  into  an 
enclosure  within  for  the  protection  of  the  ladies. 

Opposite  to  the  Russians,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  the  Tartars  of  the  Crimea  had  taken  up  their 
ground,  who  annoyed  them  so  much,  that  whenever 
a  party  attempted  to  water  at  the  river  a  few  pieces 
of  cannon  were  constantly  playing  upon  them. 
Thus  the  Russian  army  was  completely  surrounded 
by  Turks  on  one  side  and  Tartars  on  the  other,  with 
the  river  Pruth  between  them  and  the  latter,  which 
operated  both  ways ;  first,  as  an  advantage,  to  en- 
able them  to  extend  their  square,  and  prevent  a 
junction  of  the  two  enemies'  armies,  and  secondly, 
as  a  disadvantage,  in  preventing  a  safe  retreat  for 
the  Russians,  a  measure  to  which  it  was  but  too 
likely  they  must  be  driven.  Peter  was  now,  in 
fact,  in  a  more  critical  situation  than  that  of  Charles 
XII.  at  Poltava,  being  hemmed  in,  as  that  prince 
was,  by  a  superior  army,  more  distressed  for  want 
of  provisions,  and  deceived,  like  him,  by  the  prom- 
ises of  an  ally  who  had  not  the  power  to  fulfil  them. 


240  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Thus  surrounded,  the  Turkish  army  attacked 
them  for  three  days  and  three  nights  successively. 
' '  The  Turkish  infantry, ' '  says  the  Czar,  ' '  although 
in  disorder,  fought  with  great  ardor ;  and,  numer- 
ous as  it  was,  if  it  had  attacked  our  front  and  flanks, 
we  should  no  doubt  have  been  in  a  dangerous  posi- 
tion; for  the  enemy's  army  infinitely  surpassed  in 
numbers  our  troops,  Avhich  consisted  only  of  31,554 
infantry,  and  6,692  cavalry,  of  which  the  greater 
part  was  dismounted.  But  as  they  attacked  us  only 
on  one  side,  Ave  were  able  to  sustain  this  by  fresh 
troops.  Besides,  having  eight  eight-pound  guns, 
and  some  field-pieces,  which  kept  up  a  rapid  fire 
in  aid  of  our  musketry,  a  dreadful  slaughter  was 
made  in  this  dense  mass  of  the  enemy;  for  the 
Turks  since  admitted  that  there  perished  in  this  ac- 
tion seven  thousand  men."*  Bruce  says  nearly  the 
same  thing ;  that,  fortunately,  the  enemy  attacked 
only  one  side  of  their  square  at  a  time,  which  en- 
abled them  to  relieve  their  wearied  troops  from  time 
to  time  as  they  became  harassed  with  fatigue,  and 
it  also  enabled  them  to  make  use  of  their  large  train 
of  artillery,  which  did  great  execution ;  and  the 
more  so  as  the  Turks  had  not  been  able  to  bring  up 
their  artillery,  except  the  few  pieces  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  Pruth.  The  Russians,  however, 
were  placed  in  a  desperate  condition;  no  longer 
able  to  exist  in  so  dangerous  and  destructive  a  posi- 
tion, all  retreat  entirely  cut  off,  the  Czar  saw  that 

*  Journal  de  Pierre  1©  Grand, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  241 

nothing  was  left  but  either  by  engaging  in  an  un- 
equal combat,  to  obtain  a  victory,  to  fight  to  the 
very  last  man,  or,  lastly,  to  surrender  to  the  Turks. 
The  last  alternative  seemed,  indeed,  to  be  the 
only  resource;  for,  on  the  fourth  day,  the  Czar 
v^as  informed  that  all  their  ammunition  was 
spent  to  a  few  charges.  On  receiving  this  intelli- 
gence, Bruce  says,  Peter  ordered  all  the  officers  of 
the  army,  with  a  number  of  select  men,  to  mount  on 
horseback  and  attend  his  person ;  his  intention  being 
to  force  his  way  through  the  Turkish  army  in  the 
night,  and  to  go  through  Transylvania  and  Hungary. 
Bruce  is  an  honest  but  a  loose  writer,  and  what  he 
here  states  is  highly  improbable.  It  would  be 
utterly  inconsistent  with  Peter's  character  to  have 
entertained,  for  a  moment,  the  idea  of  leaving  his 
brave  soldiers,  his  beloved  Catharine,  and  the  rest 
of  the  ladies,  to  the  mercies  of  the  Turks,  which 
must  have  been  the  case  had  such  a  plan  been 
adopted.  Bruce,  no  doubt,  refers  to  a  resolution  of 
the  generals  at  a  council  of  war.  Voltaire's  ac- 
count of  his  behavior  at  this  critical  period  is  much 
more  consistent : — 

'  'All  the  relations, ' '  says  this  historian,  '  'and  mem- 
oirs of  the  times  unanimously  agree  that  the  Czar, 
fluctuating  in  his  mind  whether  he  should  renew  the 
engagement  the  next  day  with  the  enemy,  and  ex- 
pose his  wife,  his  army,  and  his  empire,  and  the 
fruit  of  all  his  labors,  to  a  danger  which  seemed 
almost  insuperable,  returned  to  his  tent  oppressed 
i6 


242  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

with  anxiety,  and  laboring  under  convulsions,  to 
which  he  was  sometimes  subject,  and  which  his 
present  solicitude  contributed  to  increase.  Thus 
resigning  himself  a  prey  to  the  most  torturing  dis- 
quietude, and  unwilling  that  his  distracted  condition 
should  be  known,  he  gave  orders  that  nobody  should 
be  permitted  to  enter  his  tent.  Then  it  was  that  he 
experienced  the  good  effect  of  having  permitted  his 
wife  to  accompany  him  in  this  expedition.  Cath- 
arine entered  his  tent,  notwithstanding  his  prohibi- 
tion." 

Whether  the  resolution  taken  by  this  true  heroine, 
who  had  faced  death  during  all  these  engagements, 
and  had  rarely  left  the  side  of  her  husband,  was 
with  that  husband's  consent,  as  Yoltaire  would  in- 
timate,— or  whether  Bruce,  who  agrees  in  what 
most  writers  previous  to  the  appearance  of  his  mem- 
oirs have  stated,  be  right  in  supposing  it  to  have 
been  taken  unknown  to  her  husband,  and  in  conse- 
quence of  the  hopeless  condition  of  the  Russian 
army, — is  not  very  material.  It  is  agreed,  on  all 
hands,  that  Catharine,  foreseeing  the  hazard  that 
would  attend  any  further  attempt  or  delay,  and  the 
loss  and  disgrace  that  were  likely  to  fall  on  her  hus- 
band's arms  and  army,  hit  on  an  expedient  Avhich 
saved  the  honor  of  the  one,  and  averted  the  inevi- 
table destruction  of  the  other.  She  knew  that  an 
oriental  prince  or  his  representative  never  grants  an 
audience  without  the  offer  of  a  present.  She  there- 
fore got  together  the  few  jewels  and  trinkets  she  had 


IJFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  243 

brought  with  her  in  this  expedition,  and  went  round 
the  camp  to  collect  all  the  money,  plate,  and  jewels, 
in  addition  to  her  own,  for  which  she  gave  her  own 
receipt,  and  obligation  to  pay  the  respective  owners 
on  her  return  to  Moscow ;  and,  having  thus  acquired 
a  valuable  present,  she  despatched  the  Yice-chan- 
cellor  Shaffiroff  and  an  officer  with  a  letter  from 
Marshal  Scherematof  to  the  grand  vizier ;  and  the 
result  was,  after  some  negotiation,  the  concluding 
a  treaty  of  peace. 

Peter,  in  his  journal,  takes  notice  of  the  letter, 
but  makes  no  mention  of  Catharine's  negotiation; 
but  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  fact,  which  indeed 
is  alluded  to  in  his  own  declaration,  when,  in  1723, 
he  caused  the  Empress  Catharine  to  be  crowned. 
«'  She  has  been,"  he  then  said,  "  of  great  assistance 
to  us  in  all  times  of  danger,  but  particularly  at  the 
battle  of  the  Pruth,  where  our  army  was  reduced  to 
two-and-twenty  thousand  men."  If  there  be  no 
error  in  the  Czar's  estimate,  the  battle  of  the  Pruth 
must  have  been  one  of  the  most  destructive  on  rec- 
ord. He  tells  us  that  on  the  first  day  of  the  en- 
gagement his  army  consisted  of  31, 554  infantry,  and 
6,692  cavalry;  he  must  therefore  have  lost  on  the 
Pruth  16,246  fighting  men.  In  the  same  journal 
we  are  assured  that  the  loss  of  the  Turks  exceeded 
his ;  for  as  their  attacks  were  made  in  a  confused 
and  tumultuous  manner,  and  his  men  stood  firm,  all 
their  shot  told.* 

*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


244  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

The  overture  for  peace  was  not,  however,  imme- 
diately accepted.  No  answer  being  received  from 
the  grand  vizier  for  some  hours,  it  was  apprehended 
that  the  bearers  of  the  letter  had  been  killed  or  de- 
tained by  the  Turks ;  a  second  officer  was  therefore 
despatched  with  a  duplicate  of  the  letter,  and  in  the 
meantime  a  council  of  war  was  held,  at  which 
Catharine  assisted;  the  result  was  as  follows,  and 
signed  by  ten  general  officers : — 

"  Should  the  vizier  not  accept  the  considerations 
offered ;  should  he  insist  on  our  laying  down  our 
arms,  and  surrendering  at  discretion;  it  is  the 
unanimous  opinion  of  all  the  generals  and  ministers 
that  an  attempt  be  made  for  breaking  through  the 
enemy."  In  consequence  of  this  resolution  a  trench 
was  thrown  up  round  the  baggage,  and  the  Eussians 
had  advanced  within  a  hundred  paces  of  the  Turkish 
army,  when  at  length  the  grand  vizier  proclaimed  a 
suspension  of  arms. 

It  was  not  altogether  the  precarious  position  of 
the  Eussians  army  on  the  Pruth  that  determined  the 
vizier's  assent  to  a  cessation  of  arms ;  he  had  re- 
ceived intelligence  just  then  that  the  corps  com- 
manded by  General  Eenne  on  the  river  Sireth,  in 
Moldavia,  had  advanced  close  to  the  Danube,  where 
he  had  taken  the  town  and  castle  of  Brahilow,  and 
laid  them  in  ashes ;  he  knew,  too,  that  the  Czar  had 
also  another  body  of  troops  advancing  from  the 
frontiers  of  Poland.  The  object  of  the  vizier  was 
therefore  to  send  back  to  Eussia  the  victorious  troops 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  245 

on  the  Danube,  to  recover  Azof,  to  exclude  the 
Czar  from  all  entrance  into  the  Sea  of  Azof, 
and  the  Black  Sea,  and  to  demolish  the  harbor  of 
Taganrog ;  to  prevent  the  Czar,  in  future,  from  con- 
cerning himself  with  the  Poles  and  the  Cossacks, 
and  to  obtain  for  the  King  of  Sweden  a  free  and  un- 
disturbed passage  home  to  his  own  kingdom.  These 
were  the  terms  he  proposed,  to  all  of  which  the 
Czar  agreed ;  and  the  Yice-chancellor  Shafiiroff  and 
Major-general  Scherematoff,  son  of  the  marshal, 
were  sent  to  Constantinople  as  hostages  for  the  ful- 
filment of  the  treaty.  After  which  the  whole  army 
were  supplied  by  the  Turks  with  abundance  of  pro- 
visions. 

The  vizier  pressed  very  much  that  Prince  Canti- 
mir  should  be  delivered  up  to  him,  as  Patkul  had 
been  by  Augustus  to  the  King  of  Sweden,  but  this 
was  disdainfully  rejected  by  the  Czar.  In  his  letter 
to  Yice-chancellor  Shaffiroif  he  thus  expresses  him- 
self :  ' '  I  will  rather  cede  to  the  Turks  all  the  coun- 
try as  far  as  Cursk ;  I  shall  still  have  some  hopes 
of  recovering  it ;  but  my  word  once  forfeited,  is  ir- 
recoverable— it  must  not  be  violated.  Honor  is  all 
we  have  peculiar  to  ourselves ;  renouncing  that  is 
ceasing  to  be  a  monarch. ' ' 

Peter,  in  his  journal,  admits  that  this  expedition 
against  the  Turks  was  very  rashly  undertaken ;  that 
he  first  set  about  it  for  the  honor  of  Christianity, 
and  on  the  promises  of  the  faithless  Hospodar  of 
Moldavia, — ^promises  that  were  only  the  words   of 


246  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Judas — a  man  who  betrayed  him  to  the  Turks,  and 
laid  a  snare  for  his  destruction;  ''but,"  says  he, 
''divine  justice  most  certainly  performed  a  miracle 
on  the  occasion,  in  saving  us  from  that  inevitable 
danger ;  ' '  and  he  adds  that,  ' '  b}^  the  effect  of  this 
same  divine  justice,  all  the  traitors  came  to  an  un- 
happy end. ' '  * 

"The  King  of  Sweden,"  says  Yoltaire,  "was 
now  reduced  to  the  mean  shift  of  caballing  at  the 
Ottoman  court.  A  king  who  had  made  kings  is 
busied  in  contriving  means  that  memoirs  and  peti- 
tions, which  the  ministry  would  not  receive,  might 
be  delivered  to  the  sultan.  All  the  artifices  and  in- 
trigues which  a  subject  would  make  use  of  to  sup- 
plant a  minister  in  his  sovereign's  esteem,  Charles 
practised  against  the  vizier  Mehemet  and  all  his 
successors.  Sometimes  application  was  made  to  the 
Sultan  Yalide  by  a  Jewess;  sometimes  a  eunuch 
was  the  messenger ;  at  last  was  found  a  wretch  who, 
mingling  himself  among  the  grand  seignior's  guards, 
acted  the  madman  with  the  view  that,  by  drawing 
the  notice  of  the  sultan,  he  might  give  him  a  memo- 
rial from  the  king.  But  the  result  of  all  these  in- 
trigues was,  that  Charles  had  the  mortification  to 
see  himself  deprived  of  his  thaim^  or  pension,  which 
he  daily  received  from  the  Porte's  generosity, 
amounting  to  fifteen  hundred  livres,  French.  The 
grand  vizier,  instead  of  the  thaim^  transmitted  him 

*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  247 

an  order,  in  the  softened  form  of  advice,  to  quit 
Turke}^" 

' '  Charles, ' '  he  continues,  ' '  was  more  determined 
than  ever  to  stay,  still  flattering  himself  that  he 
should  lead  an  Ottoman  army  into  Poland  and  Rus- 
sia. The  issue  of  his  obstinacy,  in  the  year  1714, 
is  known  to  all  the  world ;  how  with  his  secretaries, 
valets,  cooks,  and  grooms,  he  fought  against  an 
army  of  janizaries,  spahis,  and  Tartars ;  how  he 
was  a  prisoner  in  the  country  where  he  had  enjoyed 
the  most  generous  hospitality;  and  how,  after  a 
stay  of  five  years  in  Turkey,  he  returned  to  his  own 
kingdom  in  the  disguise  of  a  courier.  If  there  was 
any  rationality  in  his  conduct,  it  must  be  owned  to 
have  been  of  a  different  kind  from  that  of  other 
men."  *  ''I  see,"  said  Peter,  with  a  deep  sigh,  on 
hearing  of  his  conduct  towards  the  Turks,  ' '  I  see 
that  God  has  abandoned  him,  since  he  carries  his 
ingratitude  so  far  as  to  attack  his  benefactors. ' '  f 
In  plain  truth,  the  whole  conduct  of  Charles,  after 
the  battle  of  Poltava,  was  that  of  a  madman. 

The  spot,  where  Peter  was  engaged  in  this  de- 
structive battle,  was  not  more  than  sixty  or  seventy 
miles  from  Bender,  Avhere  his  rival  brother,  Charles 
XII.  had  taken  up  his  abode ;  and  it  is  well  authen- 
ticated that  there  were  in  the  Ottoman  army,  in  the 
midst  of  the  battle,  two  of  the  king  of  Sweden's 
officers,   Count   Poniatowski  and  General  Sparre; 

•       *  Voltaire.    Life  of  Charles  XII. 
*  Life  of  Peter  the  Great, 


248  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

that  these  generals  strongly  urged  the  grand  vizier 
not  to  fight,  but  continually  to  harass  the  Rus- 
sians ;  to  cut  them  off  from  all  water  and  supplies 
of  provisions,  and  thus  oblige  them  either  to  sur- 
render or  to  perish ;  but  that  the  vizier  was  deter- 
mined to  bring  the  war  to  the  issue  of  a  battle,  the 
result  of  which  he  could  not  doubt,  from  the  vast 
superiority  of  his  numbers ;  that  they  still  pressed 
him  not  to  hazard  a  general  action  with  troops, 
however  inferior  in  numbers,  which  were  so  supe- 
rior to  his  in  discipline;  and  that  the  vizier  got 
angry,  which  was  the  chief  cause  of  his  attacking 
the  Russians  the  first  day  in  the  rear,  under  Gen- 
eral Allard,  who,  with  8000  men,  stood  his  ground 
for  three  hours  against,  150,000  Turks,  and  obliged 
them  to  retire,  with  the  loss  of  7000  men.  Such 
was  the  effect  of  discipline  acquired  since  the  battle 
of  I^arva,  where  the  Russian  soldiers  were  no 
better  than,  and  probably  not  so  good  as  those  of 
the  Turks.* 

As  soon  as  the  treaty  was  concluded,  Charles 
hastened  to  the  vizier,  who,  recollecting  his  haughti- 
ness at  Bender,  t  sent  two  pashas  to  meet  him,  but 
received  him  himself  near  the  door  of  his  tent. 
Charles  commenced  the  conversation  by  upbraiding 
him  for  not  taking  the  Czar  prisoner,  when  he  had 
him  in  his  power;  but  the  vizier  coolly  asked, 
"  Had  I  taken  the  Czar,  who  would  have  governed 
his  empire?  "  adding,  ''  All  kings  should  not  leave 

*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand.  f  Ibid, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  249 

their  homes. ' '  This,  if  true,  would  have  been  suflfi- 
eiently  mortifying  to  Charles ;  but  the  conversation 
that  passed  is  more  probably  stated  by  Bruce. 
After  reproaching  the  vizier  for  not  taking  the  Czar 
a  prisoner  to  Constantinople,  Charles  said  that,  if  he 
would  now  give  him  20,000  of  his  troops,  he  would 
yet  recover  the  opportunity.  "  God  preserve  us," 
said  the  vizier,  ^ '  from  breaking  a  treaty  of  peace 
without  any  reason,  as  I  have  already  accepted 
hostages  for  the  performances  of  it. ' '  Poniatowski 
being  present,  repeated  the  same  thing,  but  the 
vizier  was  inflexible,  and  observed  it  would  be  a 
violation  of  that  part  of  the  treaty  which  provides, 
' '  that  the  king  of  Sweden  may  return  into  his  own 
dominions,  through  the  Czar's  territories,  with  a 
strong  convoy  of  Turks,  after  which,  if  he  pleases, 
he  may  make  peace  with  the  Czar.  The  king,  on 
hearing  this,  looked  full  at  the  grand  vizier  and 
laughed  in  his  face,  without  making  any  answer, 
and  turned  short  on  his  heel,  tore  the  vizier's  robe 
with  his  spur ;  mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  off  highly 
displeased  with  the  interview. "  "^^ 

' '  Thus, ' '  says  Yoltaire,  ' '  all  the  satisfaction 
Charles  reaped  from  his  long  journey  was,  to  tear 
the  grand  vizier's  robe  with  one  of  his  spurs; 
whereas  the  vizier,  who  might  have  made  him  re- 
pent of  this  indignity,  overlooked  it,  and  herein 
showed  himself  much  greater  than  Charles.  If  amid 
the  blaze  and  tumult  of  this  monarch's  life,  any- 

*  Bruce's  Memoirs. 


250  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

thing  could  have  brought  him  to  see  how  much 
grandeur  is  subject  to  the  reverse  of  fortune,  it  is, 
that  at  Poltava  a  pastrycook  had  made  his  whole 
army  lay  down  their  arms ;  and  that  at  the  Pruth, 
both  the  Czar's  fate  and  his  own  had  been  decided 
by  a  wood-cleaver — this  Yizier  Baltagi  Mehemet 
having  been  a  wood-cleaver  in  the  seraglio,  as  his 
name  signifies ;  and,  instead  of  being  ashamed  of  it, 
he  accounted  it  an  honor.  So  different  are  the 
Eastern  manners  from  ours. ' '  * 

Bruce,  who  was  sent  express  to  Constantinople, 
relates  the  following  melancholy  story :  "At  our 
setting  out  (from  the  Pruth)  Colonel  Pitt  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  both  his  wife  and  daughter,  beau- 
tiful women,  by  the  breaking  of  their  coach  wheel ; 
by  this  accident  they  were  left  so  far  in  the  rear, 
that  the  Tartars  seized  and  carried  them  off.  The 
colonel  addressed  himself  to  the  grand  vizier,  who 
ordered  a  strict  inquiry  to  be  made,  but  to  no  pur- 
pose. The  colonel,  being  afterward  informed  that 
they  were  both  carried  to  Constantinople,  and  pre- 
sented to  the  grand  seignior,  obtained  a  pass,  and 
went  thither  in  search  of  them;  and,  getting  ac- 
quainted with  a  Jew  doctor,  who  was  physician  to 
the  seraglio,  the  doctor  told  him  there  had  been  two 
such  ladies  as  he  described  lately  presented  to  the 
sultan ;  but  that  when  any  of  the  sex  were  once 
taken  into  the  seraglio,  they  were  never  suffered  to 
come  out  again.  The  colonel,  nevertheless,  tried 
*  Voltaire's  Hist. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  251 

every  expedient  he  could  devise  to  recover  his  wife, 
if  he  could  not  get  both,  till  becoming  outrageous 
by  repeated  disappointment,  and  very  clamorous, 
they  shut  him  up  in  a  dungeon ;  and  it  was  with 
great  difficulty  he  got  released,  by  the  intercession 
of  some  of  the  foreign  ambassadors  at  the  Porte ; 
and  he  was  afterward  told,  by  the  Jew  doctor,  that 
they  had  both  died  of  the  plague."  * 

These  barbarians  had  too  long  been  suffered  to  act 
as  the  scourge  of  Southern  Europe,  but  Russia  was 
the  power  destined,  at  no  distant  time,  to  wipe  out 
the  disgrace  by  the  most  ample  vengeance. 

*  Bruce's  Memoirs. 


CHAPTEK  X. 

The  Czar's  Naval  Victory  over  the  Swedes — Rejoicings — A 
Russian  Entertainment — Death  of  the  Consort  of  Alexis — 
The  Czarina  Catharine  brings  Peter  a  Son — Strange  Re- 
joicings— Progressive  Improvements  at  St.  Petersbmg. 

As  soon  as  intelligence  of  the  treaty  with  Kussia 
had  reached  Constantinople,  the  vizier's  conduct  was 
highly  applauded,  and  great  rejoicings,  by  order  of 
the  sultan,  took  place.  Tolstoy,  the  Eussian  am- 
bassador, was  immediately  released  from  the  Seven 
Towers,  and  Shaffiroff  and  Scherematoff,  the  two 
hostages,  were  received  with  such  honors  as  the 
Turk  ever  condescends  to  bestow  upon  infidels,  and 
a  guard  of  Janizaries  was  given  for  their  protec- 
tion. 

Peter,  on  his  part,  lost  no  time  in  ordering  his 
army  to  march  back  by  the  way  of  Jassy,  followed 
by  a  large  body  of  Turkish  troops,  which  were  sent 
by  the  vizier,  most  probably  to  watch  the  motions 
of  the  Muscovites,  though  ostensibly  to  hinder  the 
roving  Tartars  from  molesting  them.  Conformably 
to  the  terms  of  the  treaty,  Peter  caused,  without 
delay,  the  fortresses  of  Samara  and  Kamienska  to 
be  demolished ;  but  it  required  a  considerable  time 
to  prepare  for  the  surrender  of  Azof  and  Taganrog, 

252 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  253 

owing  to  the  separation  of  the  stores  and  vessels  be- 
longing to  the  Turks,  and  those  that  had  been  sent 
thither  by  the  Kussians  subsequent  to  the  capture. 
The  sultan  grew  impatient  at  delay,  and  dismissed 
the  vizier.  The  party  of  Charles,  supported  by  the 
Khan  of  the  Tartars,  and  by  the  French  ambas- 
sador, once  more  gained  the  ascendant,  and  there 
seemed  to  be  every  likelihood  of  a  renewal  of  hos- 
tilities. Azof  however  was  at  length  restored,  and 
the  fortresses  were  demolished;  yet  the  grand 
seignior  was  persuaded  that  he  ought  not  to  be  sat- 
isfied with  the  treaty.  Peter  therefore  thought  it 
most  politic,  under  present  circumstances,  to  author- 
ize his  ambassadors  to  sign  another  treaty,  by 
which  he  consented  to  withdraw  his  troops  from 
Poland  within  three  months ;  but  at  the  same  time 
he  stipulated  that  Charles  should  be  required  im- 
mediately to  withdraw  from  Turkey  and  return  to 
his  own  dominions,  instead  of  remaining  there  to 
foment  broils  among  Christian  powers. 

Peter,  on  his  return  from  this  unfortunate  cam- 
paign, found  his  health  so  much  impaired,  that  he 
thought  it  necessary  to  proceed  to  Carlsbad,  to 
drink  the  waters;  and  from  hence  he  issued  his 
orders  for  attacking  the  Swedish  province  of  Pome- 
rania,  and  to  blockade  Stralsund ;  being  determined 
to  leave  no  part  of  Germany  in  the  possession  of  the 
crown  of  Sweden.  From  Carlsbad  he  proceeded  to 
Dresden,  where  his  son,  the  Czarovitz  Alexis  Petro- 
vitz,  at  this  time  in  his  twenty-second  year  was 


254:       LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

waiting  his  arrival.  They  went  together  to  Tar- 
gow,  where  preparations  had  been  made  for  the 
marriage  of  Alexis  with  the  Princess  of  Wolfenbut- 
tel,  sister  to  the  Empress  of  Germany,  consort  of 
Charles  YI. ,  an  accomplished  young  lady  of  eight- 
een years  of  age.  The  marriage  was  celebrated  in 
the  palace  of  the  Queen  of  Poland.  ^  The  object 
which  Peter  would  seem  to  have  had  in  view,  in 
promoting  this  alliance,  was  the  hope  of  bringing 
back  this  unfortunate  son  to  a  sense  of  what  he 
owed  to  himself,  as  the  legitimate  successor  to  the 
throne,  and  to  his  father,  to  whom  he  had  been 
guilty  of  every  species  of  disobedience.  '^  Captain 
Bruce  says  that  the  Czarovitz  was  entirely  given 
up  to  low  sensual' pleasures  and  mean  vicious  com- 
pany, and  had  no  desire  at  all  to  marry ;  nor  had 
any  other  view  at  present  than  an  endeavor  to  shun 
the  danger  he  was  in  of  forfeiting  his  succession  to 
the  crown ;  and  the  princess,  whose  amiable  man- 
ners and  engaging  accomplishments  deserved  a  bet- 
ter fate,  entirely  missed  her  road  to  happiness.* 

Catharine  was  not  at  the  marriage,  having  been 
left  at  Thorn.  Though  considered  fully  as  the  legi- 
timate Czarina,  she  had  not  been  formally  acknowl- 
edged as  such,  and  German  pride,  or  the  German 
ceremonial,  might  not  have  allowed  her  a  place 
suitable  to  her  dignity  as  the  spouse  of  Peter ;  and 
as  his  majesty  was  exceedingly  punctilious  on  this 
point,  he  deemed  it  most  expedient  to  avoid  any 

*  Memoir  of  P.  H.  Bruoe. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  255 

question  being  mooted  on  the  subject,  and  that  the 
Czarina  should  not  be  present.  After  the  ceremony 
he  joined  Catharine  at  Thorn,  and  they  then  pro- 
ceeded, by  the  way  of  Elbing,  Koningsberg,  Mit- 
taw,  and  Riga,  to  St.  Petersburg,  where  they  arrived 
on  the  29th  of  December,  1711.  One  of  the  first 
steps  which  Peter  took  after  his  arrival  at  his  new 
capital,  was  to  declare  his  intention  to  celebrate 
anew  his  own  marriage,  which  he  had  publicly  an- 
nounced at  Moscow  and  to  the  army.  Accordingly, 
on  the  26th  of  February,  1712,  his  majesty^ s  old 
wedding  was  solemnized  with  great  splendor  and 
rejoicing,  with  fireworks  and  illuminations. 

These  rejoicings  being  concluded,  Peter,  with  his 
usual  activity,  employed  himself  in  forwarding  his 
various  plans  and  improvements;  new  ships  were 
launched,  and  others  laid  down ;  the  admiralty  was 
extended;  the  foundry  for  casting  cannon  was 
finished;  canals  were  planned  and  ordered  to  be 
dug;  new  roads  were  opened;  warehouses  were 
built;  an  exchange  planned;  and  encouragement 
held  out  for  the  building  of  dwelling-houses  of  a 
more  substantial  kind  than  those  hitherto  con- 
structed. He  directed  that  the  senate  should  be 
removed  from  Moscow  to  St.  Petersburg ;  and  it  be- 
came obvious  that  his  design  was  to  make  the  latter 
the  capital  of  the  empire. 

But  as  the  prosperity  and  permanent  security  of 
this  new  city  would  mainly  depend  on  still  further 
humbling  Sweden,  he  determined  to  carry  the  war 


256  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

into  that  country,  with  the  view  of  stripping  her  of 
every  possession  that  could  annoy  or  endanger  St. 
Petersburg ;  while  Charles,  with  his  habitual  pride 
and  obstinacy,  was  quarreling  with  the  Turks  at 
Bender,  on  whose  charity  he  was  subsisting.  Peter 
had  formed  a  league  with  Denmark  and  Saxony,  and 
their  united  armies  entered  Pomerania.  Menzikoff , 
with  30,000  men,  was  ordered  to  join  the  allied  army, 
and  Peter  set  out  with  the  Czarina,  and  proceeded 
to  Stralsund,  which  he  blockaded  with  a  large  force ; 
having  left  also  10,000  men  before  Stettin.  Count 
Steinbock,  who  now  commanded  the  SAvedish  army 
of  11,000  or  12,000  men,  marched  along  the  Wis- 
mar  road,  following  the  combined  troops  of  Russia, 
Saxony,  and  Denmark.  He  soon  came  up  with  the 
Danish  and  Saxon  armies,  the  Russians  being  three 
leagues  behind.  The  Czar  despatched  couriers  to 
the  King  of  Denmark,  desiring  him,  on  no  account, 
to  engage  the  Swedes  until  his  troops  could  be 
brought  up ;  but  the  Dane,  not  willing  to  share  the 
honor  of  a  victory,  of  which  he  had  made  himself 
secure,  attacked  them  near  a  place  called  Gade- 
busch,  and  was  completely  beaten  before  the  Russians 
could  reach  the  field  of  battle. 

Steinbock  was  a  brave  and  intelligent  officer,  but 
a  man  totally  destitute  of  feeling,  and  as  obstinate  and 
obdurate  as  his  master.  Fresh  from  his  victory  at 
Gadebusch,  he  proceeded  to  the  little  town  of  Altona, 
situated  close  to  the  city  of  Hamburg,  a  place 
inhabited  by  a  peaceable  people,   who  obtained  a 


IJFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  257 

livelihood  generally  by  the  exercise  of  different 
branches  of  trade  and  manufacture,  and  who  had 
never  taken  up  arms  on  one  side  or  the  other ;  not- 
withstanding which,  he  set  fire  to  the  town  in  the 
night,  and  reduced  it  to  a  heap  of  ashes.  Many  of 
the  innocent  inhabitants  perished  in  the  flames,  and 
others,  especially  the  aged,  the  infirm,  and  the 
children,  who  had  fled  from  the  conflagration,  died 
with  fatigue  and  cold  at  the  gates  of  Hamburg. 
The  Czar  pursued  Steinbock  closely,  and  having 
witnessed  the  wretched  condition  of  the  poor  people, 
whose  town  had  been  wantonly  destroyed,  he  or- 
dered some  thousand  rubles  to  be  distributed  among 
them.  Steinbock  had  halted  his  army  at  Freder- 
ickstadt ;  but  the  Czar,  putting  himself  at  the  head 
of  five  battalions  of  his  guards  and  some  cavalry, 
attacked  him  so  vigorously  that  he  retreated  with 
the  main  body  of  his  army  to  Tonningen.  After 
this  the  Kussian  army  went  into  winter-quarters, 
and  the  Czar  returned  to  St.  Petersburg. 

The  whole  of  the  year  1713  was  spent  in  battles 
and  sieges  of  various  places  in  Pomerania,  and  in  the 
intrigues  of  the  most  cunning  and  unprincipled  self- 
created  diplomatist  and  negotiator  that  ever  existed 
— the  famous  Baron  Goertz,  whom  Yoltaire  desig- 
nates as  the  most  crafty  and  most  enterprising  of 
men.  This  man,  never  at  a  loss  for  resources, 
thought  nothing  too  bold,  nothing  too  diificult ;  in- 
sinuating in  negotiations  and  daring  in  his  schemes 
— indifferent  as  to  truth  or  falsehood — he  had  th^ 
17 


258  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

address  to  impose  on  Peter,  on  Charles,  on  the  kmgs 
of  Denmark,  Saxony,  and  Prussia.  It  was  by  his 
advice  that  Tonningen  had  opened  its  gates  to  the 
Swedish  army,  while  at  the  same  time  he  assured 
the  King  of  Demnark  it  was  done  contrary  to  his 
advice ;  but  this  did  not  save  the  Swedish  general, 
Steinbock,  from  being  obliged  to  surrender  himself 
prisoner  of  war,  with  eleven  thousand  men.  It  was 
agreed  that  Steinbock,  with  his  officers  and  men, 
might  be  ransomed  or  exchanged.  His  ransom  Avas 
settled  at  eight  thousand  imperial  crowns ;  *  yet,  in- 
considerable as  this  sum  was,  that  general,  for  want 
of  it,  remained  a  prisoner  at  Copenhagen  until  his 
death. 

Before  the  close  of  the  year  1713,  the  Elector  of 
Hanover  had  secured  Bremen  and  Yerden,  of  which 
the  Swedes  had  been  dispossessed ;  the  Saxons  had 
sat  down  before  their  city  of  Wismar ;  Stettin  had 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  King  of  Prussia; 
finally,  the  Saxons  were  in  possession  of  the  Island 
of  Eugen,  preparatory  to  the  Russians  besieging 
Stralsund,  almost  the  only  spot  in  Pomerania  now 
left  to  Charles  XII.  In  the  midst  of  these  negoti- 
ations and  partitions,  the  Czar,  having  himself  dic- 
tated the  plan  of  the  siege  of  Stralsund,  left  the  rest 
to  Menzikoff  and  the  confederates,  and  returned  to 
St.  Petersburg,  where  he  embarked  on  board  of  a 
ship  of  50  guns,  built  from  a  model  of  his  own,  and 

*  The  crown  of  tlie  Netherlands  was  valued  at  about  forty 
pents, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  259 

made  sail  for  Helsingfors,  in  the  Gulf  of  Finland, 
followed  by  93  galleys,  60  brigantines,  and  50  large 
flat  boats,  with  sixteen  thousand  land  forces."^ 
Great  difficulty  and  no  little  danger,  on  account  of 
rocks  and  shoals,  were  experienced ;  but  the  Czar, 
in  the  capacity  of  rear-admiral,  overcame  them  all. 
He  caused  a  diversion  to  be  made  on  one  part,  while 
the  troops  landed  on  the  other  and  captured  the 
town.  From  hence  the  Czar  pushed  on  and  made 
himself  master  of  Borgo  and  Abo,  and  the  whole 
line  of  coast.  Abo,  the  capital  of  Finland,  had  a 
university  and  a  considerable  library,  which  Peter 
took  possession  of  and  sent  to  St.  Petersburg,  where 
a  suitable  building  was  put  in  preparation  for  its 
reception ;  and  this  was  the  foundation  of  the  pres- 
ent library  at  St.  Petersburg.  The  Czar  returned 
to  the  northern  capital,  leaving  the  command  of  his 
troops  with  Prince  Galitzin,  who  advanced  against 
the  Swedes,  drove  them  from  Tavarthus,  and  pur- 
sued them  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  lake  Palkane, 
forcing  them  to  abandon  their  cannon  and  baggage. 
Peter  did  not  remain  long  at  his  new  capital. 
Finding  that  the  Swedes  were  making  great  efforts 
to  arrest  his  progress  in  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  and 
that  a  considerable  squadron  was  fitting  out  under 
the  orders  of  Admiral  Watrang  and  Yice-admiral 
Ehrenschild,  he  lost  not  a  moment  in  assembling  his 
fleet  at  Cronstadt.  It  consisted  of  thirty  stout  ships, 
most  of  them  built  in  England  or  Holland,  which 
*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand. 


260  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

he  ordered  from  Eevel  to  join  the  squadron  of 
galleys  and  prames,  so  called  by  the  Czar,  which 
amounted  to  70  or  80.  Admiral  Apraxin  was  ap- 
pointed commander-in-chief,  and  Peter  served  under 
him  as  rear-admiral.  They  set  sail  from  Cronstadt, 
and  after  cruising  about  and  collecting  the  fleet, 
they  fell  in  with  that  of  Sweden,  consisting  of 
eighteen  or  twenty  large  ships  of  the  line,  under 
the  orders  of  Admiral  Ehrenschild.  Peter,  being 
aware  that  the  large  ships  of  the  Swedes  could  not 
approach  near  enough  to  the  island  of  Aland,  on 
account  of  the  numerous  rocks  and  shoals,  and  being 
superior  to  the  enemy  in  small  vessels,  determined 
on  landing  in  the  island,  which  he  effected  in  sight 
of  the  Swedish  fleet,  and  under  fire  of  their  cannon. 
Ehrenschild,  in  a  frigate,  led  on  his  galleys  to  at- 
tack those  of  Peter,  who  was  prepared  to  receive 
them,  and  poured  in  upon  them  so  destructive  a  fire, 
as  to  cause  a  dreadful  slaughter  among  the  crews. 
The  Elephant,  a  small  frigate  of  18  guns,  which 
bore  the  flag  of  the  Swedish  admiral,  was  taken, 
after  a  gallant  action,  which  lasted  two  hours,  by 
boarding,  together  with  nine  large  galleys  and  sev- 
eral prames,  carrying  altogether  116  guns.  The 
Swedish  admiral  jumped  into  a  boat  and  endeavored 
to  escape,  but  he  was  pursued,  and,  being  wounded, 
was  obliged  to  surrender.  He  was  brought  on 
board  the  galley  which  the  Czar  himself  commanded 
in  the  action.  The  number  of  killed  was  352,  and 
of  prisoners  950 ;  the  number  of  killed  and  wounded 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  261 

on  the  side  of  the  Russians  was  342.  The  large 
ships  escaped  to  Sweden ;  but  such  was  the  conster- 
nation, that  even  Stockholm  was  alarmed  for  its 
safety.* 

This  action  was  glorious  to  Peter  and  his  navy. 
To  have  himself  thus  triumphed  over  the  old  and 
skilful  Swedish  officers,  and  made  that  fleet,  which 
for  so  long  a  time  had  scoured  the  whole  Baltic  sea, 
flee  before  him,  could  not  fail  to  gratify  his  most 
ardent  hopes,  while  it  raised  his  reputation  for  skill 
in  naval  affairs,  and  made  him  more  than  ever  re- 
spected by  his  allies.  He  returned  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, where  an  addition  to  his  joy  awaited  his  ar- 
rival, by  the  Czarina's  safe  delivery  of  a  princess, 
who  died,  however,  about  a  year  after.  He  cele- 
brated the  birth  of  his  daughter  by  a  triumphal  en- 
try into  his  new  capital,  and  instituted  a  new  order 
in  honor  of  his  consort,  called  the  Order  of  St. 
Catharine,  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  that  love 
and  fidelity  which  she  had  always  manifested  for 
him,  and  more  especially  in  his  distressed  and  criti- 
cal situation  when  his  army  was  surrounded  by  the 
Turks  and  Tartars  on  the  banks  of  the  Pruth.  The 
decoration  of  the  order  is  a  medal,  encircled  Avith 
precious  stones,  surrounding  the  picture  of  St. 
Catharine,  with  the  motto ''For  Love  and  Fi- 
delity. ' '  The  Czarina  could  alone  bestow  it  on  such 
of  her  own  sex  as  she  might  think  proper ;  and  the 
first  who  had  it  were  her  own  two  daughters,  the 
*  Journal  de  Pierre  le  Grand, 


262  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Princess  Anne,  afterward  married  to  the  Duke  of 
Holstein,  and  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  afterward 
Empress  of  Russia ;  shortly  after  she  bestowed  it  on 
the  Czar's  three  nieces, — Anne,  Catharine,  and 
Paskovia,  the  daughters  of  his  brother  Ivan,  and 
also  on  the  Princess  Menzikoff . 

All  the  galleys  of  the  conquerors  and  conquered 
came  up  the  Neva,  opposite  the  senate-house  and 
the  fort,  amid  the  roar  of  cannon ;  after  which  the 
men  came  ashore  and  marched  in  grand  procession 
to  the  senate-house.  When  his  majesty  reached  a 
triumphal  arch,  all  the  grandees,  senators,  and  for- 
eign ministers  congratulated  him  on  his  victory. 
The  governor  of  Moscow,  in  the  name  of  the  coun- 
try, complimented  his  majesty  on  his  gallant  con- 
duct, and  thanked  him  for  his  great  and  eminent 
services.  Among  the  emblematical  representations 
which  adorned  the  magnificent  arch  was  the  Rus- 
sian eagle  seizing  an  elephant  (in  allusion  to  Ehrens- 
child's  ship),  with  this  inscription,  ''- Aqidla  non 
capit  muscas.^'"^  The  procession  proceeded  in  the 
same  order  to  the  fort,  where  the  Yice-Czar,  Ro- 
manonofsky,  seated  on  a  throne  and  surrounded  by 
the  senate,  caused  Rear-admiral  Peter  to  be  called 
before  the  assembly,  and  received  from  him  a  report 
in  writing  of  the  gallant  action  he  had  fought ;  and 
this  being  read  and  considered,  he  was  unanimous^ly 
declared  Vice-admiral  of  Russia,  which  being  pro- 
claimed in  the  assembly,  the  whole  house  resounded 
*  "  An  eagle  does  not  catch  flies." 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  263 

with  ^ '  Health  to  the  vice-admiral. "  Peter,  having 
returned  thanks,  immediately  went  on  board  his 
galley  and  hoisted  the  flag  of  the  vice-admiral. 

After  this  his  majesty,  attended  by  numbers  of 
the  nobility  and  officers,  went  to  the  palace  of 
Prince  Menzikoff ,  where  a  grand  entertainment  was 
provided.  When  the  dinner  was  ended  the  Czar, 
who  had  showed  a  marked  attention  to  Yice-admiral 
Ehrenschild,  addressing  the  company,  said,  ''  Gen- 
tlemen, you  here  see  a  brave  and  a  faithful  servant 
of  his  master,  who  has  made  himself  worthy  of  the 
highest  rewards  at  his  hands,  and  who  shall  always 
have  my  favor  while  he  is  with  me,  although  he 
has  killed  me  many  a  brave  man.  I  forgive  you," 
said  he,  turning  to  the  Swede  with  a  smile,  ''and 
you  may  always  depend  on  my  good  will. ' '  Ehrens- 
child, having  thanked  the  Czar,  replied,  "  However 
honorably  I  may  have  acted  with  regard  to  my 
master,  I  did  no  more  than  my  duty :  I  sought  death, 
but  did  not  meet  it ;  and  it  is  no  small  comfort  to 
me,  in  my  misfortune,  to  be  a  prisoner  of  your  maj- 
esty, and  to  be  treated  so  favorably,  and  with  so 
much  distinction  by  so  great  a  sea-officer,  and  now, 
worthily,  vice-admiral." 

The  Czar,  on  this  occasion,  addressed  the  follow- 
ing speech  to  the  assembled  senators,  many  of 
whom  had  not  been  very  favorable  to  his  views  of 
reform,  nor  to  the  great  expense  occasioned  by 
maintaining  a  fleet : — 

''  My  brethren,  where  is  the  man  among  you  who, 


264  tlF^E  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

twenty  years  ago,  would  have  conceived  the  idea  of 
being  engaged  along  with  myself  in  building  ships 
here  on  the  Baltic,  and  in  settling  in  these  regions 
conquered  by  our  fatigues  and  bravery  ? — of  living 
to  see  so  many  brave  and  victorious  soldiers  and 
seamen  sprung  from  Russian  blood, — and  to  see  our 
sons  returning  home  accomplished  men  from  foreign 
countries  ?  Historians  place  the  seat  of  all  sciences 
in  Greece ;  whence  being  expelled  by  the  fatality 
of  the  times,  they  spread  into  Ital}^,  and  thence 
were  dispersed  all  over  Europe ;  but  by  the  perverse- 
ness  of  our  ancestors,  they  stoj)ped  short  in  Poland. 
The  Poles  as  well  as  the  Germans  formerly  groped 
in  the  same  darkness  in  which  we  have  hitherto 
lived, — but  the  indefatigable  care  of  their  governors 
at  length  opened  their  eyes,  and  they  made  them- 
selves masters  of  those  arts,  sciences,  and  social  im- 
provements which  Greece  once  boasted  of.  It  is 
now  our  turn,  if  you  will  only  seriously  second  my 
designs,  and  add  to  your  obedience  voluntary  knowl- 
edge. I  can  compare  this  transmigration  of  the 
sciences  to  nothing  better  than  the  circulation  of  the 
blood  in  the  human  body;  and  my  mind  almost 
prognosticates  that  they  will,  some  time  or  other, 
quit  their  abode  in  Britain,  Prance,  and  Germany, 
to  come  and  settle,  for  some  centuries,  among  us ; 
and  afterward  perhaps  return  to  their  original  home 
in  Greece.  In  the  meantime  I  earnestly  recom- 
mend to  your  practice  the  Latin  saying,  Ora  et  la- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  265 

hora ;  *  and  in  that  case,  be  persuaded,  you  may 
chance,  even  in  your  own  lifetime,  to  put  other  civ- 
ilized nations  to  the  blush,  and  raise  the  glory  of 
the  Kussian  name  to  the  highest  pitch,  "f 

The  senators  and  the  whole  assembly  applauded 
this  speech.  ^  round  of  entertainments  was  now 
given  by  the  superior  officers  of  the  government ; 
from  all  which  the  Czarovitz  thought  fit  to  absent 
himself,  though  regularly  invited  by  General  Bruce, 
' '  who, ' '  says  Captain  Bruce,  ' '  sent  me  several 
times  to  inform  him  of  his  majesty's  displeasure  at 
liis  non-appearance ;  but  the  old  excuse, — want  of 
health, — served  on  every  occasion."  It  seems  that 
this  wayward  young  man,  to  avoid  appearing  in 
public,  either  took  physic  or  let  blood, — always 
making  an  excuse  that  his  want  of  health  would  not 
allow  him  to  attend;  ''  when,  at  the  same  time," 
says  Bruce,  ' '  it  was  notoriously  known  that  he  got 
drunk  in  very  bad  company,  where  he  used  con- 
stantly to  condemn  all  his  father's  actions.  On  the 
present  occasion,  by  way  of  punishment,  the  Czar 
ordered  him,  being  only  a  sergeant  of  grenadiers, 
to  take  his  place  on  the  right,  with  his  halbert  on 
his  shoulder,  when  a  company  of  that  regiment 
was  ordered  to  attend  one  of  these  entertain- 
ments. The  princess,  his  consort,  happening  to  see 
him  from  a  window  march  past,  as  she  thought,  in 

*  "  Pray  and  work."    The  play  upon  the  syllable  ora  can- 
not be  reproduced  in  English, 
f  Voltaire.    Nestesuranoi,    Mottley,  &c. 


266  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

a  degraded  situation,  was  taken  ill  and  fainted. 
The  Czar,  on  hearing  this,  immediately  went  to  her, 
explained  to  her  that  he  himself  had  gone  through 
the  lowest  ranks  of  both  land  and  sea  service,  till 
he  reached  what  he  now  was,  a  general  in  the  one 
and  a  vice-admiral  in  the  other ;  but  he  told  her, 
with  his  usual  good-nature,  that  he  had  just  pro- 
cured for  him  from  the  Yice-Czar,  an  ensign's  com- 
mission in  the  guards,  and  that  he  came  to  give  her 
joy  on  her  husband's  promotion./ 

The  Czar  was  so  delighted  with  his  sea  victory, 
and  so  fully  satisfied  of  the  great  importance  of  es- 
tablishing a  naval  force  on  a  grand  scale,  that  he 
ordered  several  ships  of  the  line  to  be  laid  down  im- 
mediately, so  that,  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1715, 
he  might  have  a  fleet  of  fifty  large  ships,  with  an 
increased  number  of  galleys  and  other  vessels,  to 
enable  him  to  make  a  descent  on  Sweden,  and  even 
flattered  himself  he  should  be  able  to  take  Stock- 
holm. It  is  incredible  with  what  rapidity  a  ship  of 
the  line,  from  a  thousand  to  twelve  hundred  tons, 
was  run  up  and  completed  for  launching;  several  of 
them  were  fully  equipped  in  the  course  of  a  twelve- 
month. 

St.  Petersburg  now  began  to  assume  the  conse- 
quence as  well  as  the  appearance  of  a  great  capital ; 
and  vast  numbers  flocked  thither  from  Moscow  and 
other  interior  towns,  seeing  that  the  seat  of  com- 
merce would  eventually  be  established  there.  The 
Czar  had  now  become  almost  universally  popular. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.       ^67 

Desirous  of  assimilating  the  manners  of  his  subjects, 
as  he  had  already  done  their  dress,  to  those  of  other 
European  nations,  he  encouraged  frequent  social 
assemblies:  he  even  ordered  his  senators  and  his 
generals  alternately  to  open  their  houses  twice  a 
week  for  these  assemblies,  at  which  conversation, 
cards,  and  dancing  might  be  resorted  to ;  they  were 
to  commence  at  eight  and  end  at  eleven  o'clock; 
they  were  open  to  all  of  the  rank  of  gentlemen,  for- 
eigners as  well  as  natives,  and  equally  so  for  their 
wives  and  daughters.  This  was  a  great  step  gained 
in  civilization ;  and  the  ladies  gladly  profited  by  the 
indulgence,  and  rapidly  improved  in  their  manners, 
conversation,  and  dress. 

The  balls  and  entertainments  of  the  Czar  had 
hitherto  always  been  given  at  Prince  Menzikoff's 
palace, — ^but  his  own  summer  and  winter  palaces 
being  finished  in  the  course  of  the  year  1715,  he  now 
entertained  his  guests  at  one  or  other  of  these ;  ex- 
cept on  grand  festivals  and  extraordinary^  occasions, 
when  the  entertainments  were  held  at  the  senate- 
house.  At  these  public  dinners  several  tables  were 
laid  out,  appropriated  to  the  several  classes  of  per- 
sons, as  senators,  clergymen,  ofiicers  of  the  army 
and  navy,  merchants,  ship-builders,  and  others ;  the 
Czarina  and  the  ladies  at  a  separate  table,  and  gener- 
ally above  stairs.  These  entertainments  commonly 
ended  with  hard  drinking.  After  dinner  the  Czar 
used  to  go  from  one  room  and  table  to  another,  con- 
yersing  with  every  set  according  to  their  different 


<2,Q^  LIFE  OP  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

professions  or  employments, — more  particularly  with 
the  masters  of  foreign  trading  vessels,  making 
minute  inquiries  into  the  several  branches  of  their 
traffic,  and  marking  down  in  his  pocket-book,  as 
usual,  whatever  occurred  to  him  as  worthy  of  notice. 
''  At  these  dinners,"  says  Bruce,  ''  I  have  seen  the 
Dutch  skippers  treat  him  Avith  much  familiarity, 
calling  him  8kij}per  Peter^  with  which  he  seemed 
to  be  highly  delighted."  * 

But  the  most  extraordinary  account  of  the  manner 
in  which  the  Czar  entertained  is  given  in  a  manu- 
script, in  the  handwriting  of  Dr.  Birch,  among  the 
Sloane  papers  in  the  British  Museum  : — 

"There  are  twenty-four  cooks  belonging  to  the 
kitchen  of  the  Russian  court,  who  are  all  Russians ; 
and  as  the  people  of  that  nation  use  a  great  deal  of 
onion,  garlic,  and  train-oil  in  dressing  their  meat, 
and  employ  linseed  and  walnut  oil  for  their  pro- 
visions, there  is  such  an  intolerable  stink  in  their 
kitchen  that  no  stranger  is  able  to  bear  it, — especi- 
ally the  cooks  being  such  nasty  fellows  that  the 
very  sight  of  them  is  enough  to  turn  one's  stomach. 
These  are  the  men  who  in  great  festivals  dress  about 
70  or  80  or  more  dishes.  But  the  fowls  which  are 
for  the  Czar's  own  eating,  are  very  often  dressed  by 
his  grand  Marskal  Alseffiof,  who  is  running  up  and 
down  with  his  apron  before  him  among  the  other 
cooks  till  it  is  time  to  take  up  dinner,  when  he  puts 

*  Memoir  of  P.  H.  Bruce,  Esq. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  269 

on  his  fine  clothes  and  his  full-bottomed  wig,  and 
helps  to  serve  up  the  dishes. 

' «  The  number  of  the  persons  invited  is  commonly 
tAvo  or  three  hundred,  though  there  is  room  for  no 
more  than  about  a  hundred,  at  four  or  five  tables. 
But  as  there  is  no  place  assigned  to  anybody,  and 
none  of  the  Russians  are  willing  to  go  home  with  an 
empty  stomach,  everybody  is  obliged  to  seize  his 
chair  and  hold  it  with  all  his  force,  if  he  will  not 
have  it  snatched  from  him. 

''  The  Czar,  being  come  in  and  having  chosen  a 
place  for  himself,  there  is  such  scuffling  and  fighting 
for  chairs  that  nothing  more  scandalous  can  be  seen 
in  any  country.  Though  the  Czar  does  not  mind  in 
the  least,  nor  take  care  for  putting  a  stop  to  such 
disorder,  pretending  that  a  ceremony  and  the  for- 
mal regulations  of  a  inarskal  make  company  eat 
uneasy,  and  spoil  the  pleasure  of  conversation. 
Several  foreign  ministers  have  complained  of  this 
to  the  Czar,  and  refused  to  dine  any  more  at  court. 
But  all  the  answer  they  got  was,  that  it  was  not  the 
Czar's  business  to  turn  master  of  the  ceremonies  and 
please  foreigners,  nor  was  it  his  intention  to  abolish 
the  freedom  once  introduced.  This  obliged  stran- 
gers for  the  future  to  follow  the  Russian  fashion,  in 
defending  the  possession  of  their  chairs  by  cufiing 
and  boxing  their  opposer. 

''  The  company  thus  sitting  down  to  table  with- 
out any  manner  of  grace,  they  all  sit  so  crowded 
together  that  they  have  much  ado  to  lift  their  hands 


270  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

to  their  mouths.  And  if  a  stranger  happens  to  sit 
between  two  Eussians,  which  is  commonly  the  case, 
he  is  sm*e  of  losing  his  stomach,  though  he  should 
have  happened  to  have  ate  nothing  for  two  days 
before.  Carpenters  and  shipwrights  sit  next  to 
the  Czar,  but  senators,  ministers,  generals,  priests, 
sailors,  buffoons  of  all  kinds,  sit  pell-mell  without 
any  distinction. 

''The  first  course  consists  of  nothing  but  cold 
meats,  among  which  are  hams,  dried  tongues,  and 
the  like,  which  not  being  liable  to  such  tricks  as 
shall  be  mentioned  hereafter,  strangers  ordinarily 
make  their  whole  meal  of  them,  without  tasting 
anything  else,  though,  generally  speaking,  every 
one  takes  his  dinner  beforehand  at  home. 

"  Soups  and  roasted  meats  make  the  second 
course,  and  pastry  the  third. 

"  As  soon  as  one  sits  down,  one  is  obliged  to 
drink  a  cup  of  brandy ;  after  which  they  ply  you 
with  great  glasses  full  of  adulterated  tookay^  and 
other  vitiated  wines,  and  between  whiles  a  bumper 
of  the  strongest  English  beer,  by  which  mixture  of 
liquors  every  one  of  the  guests  is  fuddled  before  the 
soup  is  served  up. 

' '  The  company  being  in  this  condition,  make  such 
a  noise,  racket,  and  holloing,  that  it  is  impossible 
to  hear  one  another,  or  even  to  hear  the  music 
which  is  playing  in  the  next  room,  consisting  of  a 
sort  of  trumpets  and  corpets  (for  the  Czar  hates 
violins),  and  with  this  reveling  noise  and  uproar  the 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  271 

Czar  is  extremely  diverted,  particularly  if  the 
guests  fall  to  boxing  and  get  bloody  noses. 

' '  Formerly  the  company  had  no  napkins  given 
them ;  but  instead  of  it,  they  had  a  piece  of  very 
coarse  linen  given  them  by  a  servant,  who  brought 
in  the  whole  piece  under  his  arm,  and  cut  off  half 
an  ell  for  every  person,  which  they  were  at  liberty 
to  carry  home  with  them ;  for  it  had  been  observed 
that  these  pilfering  guests  used  constantly  to  pocket 
the  napkins.  But  at  present  two  or  three  Kussians 
must  make  shift  with  but  one  napkin,  which  they 
pull  and  haul  for  like  hungry  dogs  for  a  bone. 

^'  Each  person  of  the  company  has  but  one  plate 
during  dinner ;  so  if  some  Kussian  does  not  care  to 
mix  the  sauces  of  the  different  dishes  together,  he 
pours  the  soup  that  is  left  in  his  plate  either  into 
the  dish,  or  into  his  neighbor's  plate,  or  even  under 
the  table ;  after  which  he  licks  his  plate  clean  with 
his  finger,  and  last  of  all  wipes  it  with  the  table- 
cloth. 

' '  The  tables  are  each  30  or  40  feet  long,  and  but 
two  and  a  half  broad.  Three  or  four  messes  of  one 
and  the  same  course  are  served  up  to  each  table. 
The  dessert  consists  of  divers  sorts  of  pastry  and 
fruits,  but  the  Czarina's  table  is  furnished  with 
sweetmeats.  However,  it  is  to  be  observed,  that 
these  sweetmeats  are  set  out  only  on  great  festivals, 
for  a  show,  and  that  the  Kussians  of  the  best  fash- 
ion have  nothing  for  their  dessert  but  the  produce 
of  the  kitchen  garden  (as  pease,  beans,  &c.),  all  raw, 


272  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

' '  At  great  entertainments  it  frequently  happens 
that  nobody  is  allowed  to  go  out  of  the  room  from 
noon  till  midnight.  Hence  it  is  easy  to  imagine 
what  a  pickle  a  room  must  be  in  that  is  full  of  peo- 
ple who  drink  like  beasts,  and  none  of  them  escape 
being  dead  drunk. 

' '  They  often  tie  eight  or  ten  young  mice  on  a 
string,  and  hide  them  under  green  pease,  or  in  such 
soups  as  the  Eussians  have  the  greatest  appetites 
to ;  which  sets  them  a  heching  and  vomiting  in  a 
most  beastly  manner,  when  they  come  to  the  bot- 
tom and  discover  the  trick.  They  often  bake  cats, 
wolves,  ravens,  and  the  like  in  their  pastries,  and 
when  the  company  have  ate  them  up,  they  tell 
them  what  stuff  they  have  been  devouring. 

'^  The  present  butler  is  one  of  the  Czar's  buffoons, 
to  whom  he  has  given  the  name  of  Wiaschi^  with 
this  privilege,  that  if  anybody  else  calls  him  by  that 
name,  he  has  leave  to  drub  them  with  his  wooden 
sword.  If  therefore  anybody,  upon  the  Czar's  set- 
ting them  on,  calls  out  Wiaschi^  as  the  fellow  does 
not  know  exactly  who  it  was,  he  falls  a  beating 
them  all  round,  beginning  with  Prince  Menzikoff, 
and  ending  with  the  last  of  the  company,  without 
excepting  even  the  ladies,  whom  he  strips  of  their 
head  clothes,  as  he  does  the  old  Eussians  with  their 
wigs,  which  he  tramples  upon.  On  which  occasion 
it  is  pleasant  enough  to  see  the  variety  of  their  bald 
pates. 

*<  Beside^  this  employment  at  the  entertainments, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  273 

the  said  Wiaschi  is  also  surveyor  of  the  ice^  and  ex- 
ecutioner for  torturing  people :  on  which  occasion 
he  gives  them  the  knout  himself,  and  his  dexterity 
in  this  business    has  already  procured  him  above 
thirty  thousand  thalers,*  the  sixth  part  of  the  confis- 
cated estates  of  the  sufferers  being  his  perquisite. "  f 
At  what  time  these  extraordinary  scenes  occurred, 
there  are  no  means  of  ascertaining,  as  the  paper  is 
without  date;    but  the  mention    of   the   Czarina's 
name  points  to  a  period  subsequent  to  the  marriage 
of  Catharine.     It  is  well  known  that  Peter,  simple 
and   abstemious   in   his  diet  as  he   became  towards 
the   latter   part   of  his   life,  as  well   as  in   the  use 
of  wine  and   strong   liquors,  never  ceased  to  take 
pleasure  in  seeing  his  guests  enjoy  themselves,  and 
encouraging  them  to  drink  frequently,   even  until 
they  became  intoxicated,  and  was  amused  with  their 
noise  and  revels.     When  alone  with  his  Czarina,  he 
was   equally   moderate  in  his  eating   and  drinking. 
When  only  his  own  family  was  present,  his  usual 
dinner  hour  was  twelve  o'clock.     His    table  was 
frugal,   and  he  ate  only  of  plain  dishes, — such  as 
soup  with  vegetables  in  it,   water-gruel,   cold  roast 
meat,  ham,   and  cheese ;  a  little  aniseed- water  be- 
fore dinner,  and  a  cup  of  quass,  or  Kussian  beer,  or 
in  lieu  of  this,  a  glass  of  wine.     One  dish  only  was 
served  up  at  a  time,  and  in  order  to  have  it  hot,  the 
dining-room  was  contiguous  to  the  kitchen,  from 

*  The  thaler  was  valued  at  about  71  cents, 
f  In  Dr.  Birch's  handwriting.  Sloane's  MSS.  British  Museum. 
I8 


274  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

whence  the  dish  was  received  from  the  cook  through 
a  small  window.  At  one,  he  was  accustomed  to  lie 
down  and  sleep  for  about  an  hour :  the  rest  of  the 
afternoon  and  evening  were  spent  in  some  amuse- 
ment or  other,  till  ten  o'clock,  when  he  went  to  bed, 
and  he  always  got  up  at  four  in  the  morning,  sum- 
mer and  winter.  Between  this  hour  and  twelve  he 
transacted  all  his  business  with  his  ministers.  Al- 
though he  never  supped,  he  generally  sat  down 
with  the  empress  and  his  daughters  at  table ;  and, 
though  now  grown  sober  and  serious,  he  still  pre- 
served in  company  the  gaiety  of  his  disposition,  his 
familiarity  with  his  inferiors,  and  his  dislike  of  cere- 
mony. Peter  never  restrained  himself  through  life 
in  putting  in  practise,  whenever  he  thought  it  nec- 
essary, any  of  his  oddities  and  eccentricities,  most  of 
which,  absurd  and  puerile  as  they  might  appear  to 
be,  had  each  of  them  an  aim  at  some  particular  end ; 
each  of  them  had  its  place  on  the  surface  of  his 
sphere  of  action ;  and  all  of  them  converged  to  one 
central  point,  and  that  point  was  Eussia. 

Besides  the  coarse  and  boisterous  parties  that 
have  been  described,  he  had  others  of  a  more  ra- 
tional nature.  He  had  a  garden  in  St.  Petersburg 
laid  out  on  an  island,  in  which  was  built  a  large 
banqueting-room.  When  an  entertainment  was  to 
be  given  in  this  garden,  it  was  necessary  that  the 
company  should  come  in  boats ;  and  in  order  to  ac- 
commodate the  different  ranks  of  his  guests,  he 
presented  them  accordingly  with  yachts,  small  sail- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  275 

ing- vessels,  barges  of  ten  or  twelve  oars,  and  smaller 
boats ;  and  these  means  of  conveyance  were  given 
to  them  on  this  condition : — that  each  should  keep 
his  vessel  in  repair,  and  when  worn  out,  build  an- 
other at  his  own  expense.  Nor  were  these  vessels  to 
be  kept  up  for  pleasure  alone,  or  suffered  to  remain 
useless ;  for  on  a  given  signal  being  made  for  sail- 
ing or  rowing,  the  proprietors,  with  their  respec- 
tive crews,  were  obliged  to  attend,  whether  to  row 
on  the  broad  Neva,  or  sail  down  to  Cronstadt.  In 
the  latter  case,  all  the  maneuvers  of  a  fleet  were 
put  in  practise  by  signals,  such  as  making  or  short- 
ening sail,  forming  the  line,  furling  sails,  &c. ,  by 
which  the  young  nobles  and  gentry  acquired  a  taste 
for  the  naval  service,  while  they  were  enjoying  the 
trip  as  an  amusement. 

Peter,  however,  in  the  midst  of  all  these  feasts 
and  entertainments,  conceived  that  he  had  an  act  of 
justice  to  perform.  The  Dutch  admiral  Kruys,  had, 
unfortunately,  the  preceding  year,  lost  two  of  his 
vessels,  the  Eiga  and  the  Wyberg,  on  the  rocks, 
when  chasing  three  Swedish  vessels,  and  had  been 
compelled  to  set  fire  to  the  Riga.  The  Czar  ordered 
him  and  the  captain  of  the  other  ship  to  be  tried  by 
court-martial,  which  sentenced  him  to  be  shot  for 
neglect  of  duty  and  cowardice.  Kruys  complained 
of  the  extreme  severity  of  this  doom,  alleging  that 
no  other  nation,  conversant  in  naval  jurisdiction, 
would  have  passed  such  a  sentence.  Some  of  the 
accounts  state  that  the  Czar,  on  hearing  this,  ordered 


276  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

copies  of  the  trial  to  be  sent  to  his  minister  in  Hol- 
land, the  admiral's  native  country,  in  order  to  col- 
lect the  opinions  of  the  naval  officers  of  that  coun- 
try ;  and  that  they  pronounced  the  sentence  to  be  a 
severe,  but  in  strict  justice  a  proper  one.  The  Czar, 
however,  considering  his  officer  more  unfortunate 
than  culpable,  commuted  the  sentence  into  banish- 
ment to  Olonnetz ;  but  before  he  had  traveled  one 
day's  journey  towards  the  place  of  his  exile,  his  maj- 
esty not  only  recalled  him,  but  appointed  him  one 
of  the  commissioners  of  the  admiralty;  and  thus 
intrusted  him  with  the  administration  of  the  civil 
affairs  of  that  navy,  the  ships  of  which  he  did  not 
think  fit  any  longer  to  place  under  his  command. 
Accordingly,  he  was  never  employed  at  sea  again, 
but  continued  to  manage  the  affairs  of  the  navy  on 
shore,  which  he  did  with  great  ability  for  the 
remainder  of  his  days. 

Soon  after  this  a  discovery  was  made,  which 
occasioned  a  very  considerable  degree  of  annoyance 
to  the  Czar.  His  majesty  having  inquired  of  the 
Dutch  merchants  whether  the  trade  of  his  new 
capital  was  in  a  flourishing  state,  one  of  them  an- 
swered, it  would  do  very  well  if  his  majesty's  min- 
isters did  not  monopolize  nearly  the  whole  of  it. 
This  led  to  further  inquiries,  when  it  appeared  that 
not  only  had  trade  decayed,  but  that  the  finances 
had  been  embezzled,  the  army  ill  paid,  that  the 
revenues  were  in  great  confusion,  and  that  his  prin- 
cipal servants,  and  among  others,  his  favorite  Men- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  277 

zikoff,  were  deeply  involved.  Determined  to  in- 
vestigate the  whole  matter,  he  established  a  grand 
inquisition,  at  the  head  of  which  was  placed  Gen- 
eral Basil  Dolgorouki.  Menzikoff ,  Admiral  Apraxin, 
Kersakof,  vice-governor  of  St.  Petersburg,  Kijkin 
the  president,  and  Siniavin,  first  commissioner  of 
the  admiralty.  General  Bruce,  master  of  the  ord- 
nance, with  a  great  number  of  inferior  officers,  were 
implicated  in  the  charges.  Apraxin,  Menzikoff, 
and  Bruce,  alleged  their  absence  from  St.  Peters- 
burg in  the  field  abroad,  or  at  sea,  so  that  they 
could  not  possibly  be  aware  of  the  ill  practises  of 
their  faithless  servants,  or  prevent  them.  This 
appeal  was  in  part  admitted ;  but  the  greater  part 
of  their  property  was  confiscated.  Many  others 
forfeited  their  estates,  and  some  of  these  suffered  in 
addition  the  knout,  and  those  who  had  no  property 
were  sent  to  Siberia. 

Another  circumstance  occurred  shortly  after  this, 
Avhich  occasioned  no  little  grief  to  the  Czar.  The 
unfortunate  princess,  consort  of  the  Czarovitz,  was 
brought  to  bed  of  a  son,  and  died  a  few  days  after, 
in  the  twenty-first  year  of  her  age,  deeply  and  sin- 
cerely lamented  by  the  whole  court.  By  the  gentle- 
ness of  her  manners,  and  the  sweetness  of  her  tem- 
per, this  amiable  princess  had  endeared  herself  to  all 
who  knew  her ;  but  her  life  had  been  imbittered  by 
the  brutal  conduct  of  her  husband,  who  not  only 
totally  neglected  her,  but  indulged  in  revelries  and 
•debaucheries  of  the  most  sensual  and  beastly  sort, 


278  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

in  his  own  home  as  well  as  elsewhere.  The  poor 
princess  refused  all  nourishment  and  medicine,  and 
entreated  the  physician  not  to  force  it  upon  her,  as 
she  had  no  other  wish  than  to  die  in  quiet.  Both 
the  Czar  and  Czarina  were  greatly  afflicted  at  her 
loss.  Their  little  grandson  was  named  Peter,  with 
the  addition  of  Alexiovitz,  and  became,  on  the 
demise  of  the  Empress  Catharine,  Peter  II.  of  Eussia. 

The  Czar  was  busil}^  employed  on  his  works  at 
Schlusselburg,  when  the  intelligence  of  his  daughter- 
in-law's  confinement  reached  him :  he  set  out  in- 
stantly for  his  capital,  where  he  was  seized  with  a 
sudden  illness,  which  confined  him  to  his  chamber ; 
but  on  hearing  of  her  alarming  state,  caused  him- 
self to  be  placed  on  a  chair,  moving  on  wheels,  and 
conve3^ed  to  her  apartment.  The  interview  was 
most  affecting.  As  she  took  leave  of  him,  recom- 
mending her  children  to  his  care  and  her  servants  to 
his  protection,  this  stern  hero  burst  into  tears,  and, 
in  an  agony  of  grief,  gave  her  the  strongest  assur- 
ances, which  were  faithfully  fulfilled,  that  every 
wish  of  hers  should  be  accomplished.  At  midnight 
this  amiable  sufferer  expired. 

An  idle  report,  scarcely  deserving  of  notice,  except 
for  that  which  it  obtained  in  France,  was  circulated, 
and  printed  in  numerous  publications,  that  by  the 
connivance  of  her  attendants,  this  unfortunate  prin- 
cess made  her  escape  to  Louisiana,  married  a  French 
sergeant,  returned  with  him  to  Paris,  and  was  dis- 
covered by  Marshal   Saxe,    who  procured  for  her 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.       ^79 

husband  a  commission  in  the  Isle  of  Bourbon.  The 
story  included  many  other  adventures,  equally  and 
utterly  destitute  of  truth.  It  gave  rise,  however, 
to  two  or  three  impostors,  who  feigned  themselves 
to  be  the  unfortunate  Princess  of  Wolfenbuttel,  and 
one  of  them  is  supposed  to  have  visited  Eng- 
land. * 

The  grief  of  the  court  for  the  death  of  the  prin- 
cess was  speedily  converted  into  joy ;  for  the  next 
day  after  the  interment,  the  Czarina  Catharine  gave 
birth  to  a  son,  to  the  unspeakable  delight  of  the 
parents.  This  young  prince  was  also  baptized  by 
the  name  of  Peter,  with  the  adjunct  of  Petrovitz, 
the  kings  of  Denmark  and  Prussia  being  his  god- 
fathers. On  this  joyous  occasion,  a  kind  of  carnival 
was  held,  which  lasted  ten  days.  Splendid  enter- 
tainments, balls,  and  fireworks,  followed  one  another 
in  constant  succession.  At  one  of  the  grand  din- 
ners, a  device  of  so  singular  a  kind  is  mentioned  by 
several  writers,  that  rude  and  barbarous  as  the  sub- 
jects of  Peter  still  were,  it  requires  the  utmost  stretch 
of  belief,  that  such  an  exhibition  could  have  taken 
place.  On  opening  a  large  pie,  which  graced  the 
center  of  the  gentlemen's  table,  a  well-shaped  dwarf 
w^oman  stepped  out  of  it ;  she  made  a  speech  to  the 
company,  drank  their  health  in  a  glass  of  wine,  and 
was  then  removed  from  the  table.  On  the  ladies' 
table,  a   man-dwarf   was   served   up  in   the   same 

*  Annual  Register  for  1766.     Original  in  Gentleman's  Mag- 
azine. 


280  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

manner.   Mr.  Bruce  adds  a  third  ''dainty  dish,"  out 
of  which  sprung  a  covey  of  twelve  partridges. 

Peter  also  took  this  opportunity  of  general  rejoic- 
ing, to  render  ridiculous  the  office  of  the  patriarch, 
which  he  had  long  determined  to  abolish,  and  had 
for  some  years  held  in  a  state  of  abeyance ;  and 
this  he  did  from  having  repeatedly  received  hints 
from  the  bishops  and  others,  of  the  wish  of  the  peo- 
ple to  have  a  patriarch,  which  he  knew  was  not  the 
case.  For  this  purpose  he  appointed  Sotof,  his 
jester,  or,  more  properly,  his  court  fool,  to  perform 
what  Yoltaire  colls  the  farce  of  the  conclave.  This 
''  motley,"  who  was  in  his  eighty-fourth  year,  was 
created  mock-patriarch ;  the  bride  (for  he  was  to  be 
married)  was  a  buxom  widow  of  thirty ;  the  guests 
were  invited  by  four  stutterers,  who  could  barely 
utter  a  word ;  four  fat,  bulky,  and  unwieldy  fellows 
were  selected  for  running  footmen,  so  gouty  as  to 
be  led  by  others ;  the  bridesmen  and  waiters  were 
all  lame ;  these  were  meant  as  so  many  cardinals ; 
and  every  member  of  this  sacred  college,  according 
to  Yoltaire,  was  first  made  drunk  with  brandy. 
The  happy  couple  were  dragged  to  church  by  four 
bears  harnessed  to  a  sledge ;  and  in  this  way,  with 
music  playing,  drums  beating,  bears  roaring,  and 
the  populace  hurraing,  the  well-matched  couple  were 
brought  to  the  altar,  where  they  were  joined  in  holy 
wedlock  by  a  priest  a  hundred  years  old,  deaf  and 
blind,  who  was  prompted  in  the  ceremony.  Yol- 
taire   observes,   that  Moscow  and   St.    Petersburg 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  281 

witnessed  three  times  the  renewal  of  this  ludicrous 
ceremony,  which  appeared  to  have  no  sort  of  mean- 
ing, while  in  reality  it  confirmed  the  people  in  their 
aversion  to  a  church  that  pretended  to  a  supreme 
power,  and  the  head  of  which  had  anathematized  so 
many  potentates.  ' '  Thus  the  Czar, ' '  says  he,  ' '  by 
way  of  jest,  revenged  the  cause  of  twenty  emperors 
of  Germany,  ten  kings  of  France,  and  a  multitude  of 
sovereigns.""^ 

During  this  festival  the  principal  inhabitants  of  St. 
Petersburg  kept  open  house,  their  tables  spread  with 
cold  meat  and  strong  liquors,  so  that  there  was 
scarcely  a  sober  person  to  be  found  in  the  whole 
feity.  On  the  tenth  day  the  Czar  gave  a  grand 
entertainment  at  the  senate-house,  at  the  conclusion 
of  which  each  guest  was  required  to  drink  off  a 
large  glass  called  the  double-eagle,  containing  a  full 
bottle  of  wine.  ' '  To  avoid  this, ' '  says  Captain 
Bruce,  ''  I  made  my  escape,  pretending  to  the  offi- 
cer on  guard  that  I  was  going  on  a  message  from 
the  Czar,  which  he  believing,  let  me  pass ;  I  went 
to  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Kelderman,  Avho  had  formerly 
been  one  of  the  Czar's  tutors,  and  was  still  in  great 
favor  with  him.  Mr.  Kelderman  followed  me  very 
soon,  but  not  before  he  had  drank  off  his  double- 
eagle,  and  coming  into  his  own  house,  he  com- 
plained thlt  he  was  sick  with  drinking ;  and  sitting 
down  by  the  table,  laid  his  head  on  it,  appearing  as 
if  fallen  asleep.  This  being  a  common  custom  with 
*  History  of  the  Russian  Empire,  &c. 


282  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

him,  his  wife  and  daughters  took  no  notice  of  it ;  till 
after  some  time  observing  him  neither  to  move  nor 
breathe,  and  coming  close  up  to  him,  we  found  he 
was  dead,  which  threw  the  family  into  great  con- 
fusion. Knowing  the  esteem  in  which  he  stood 
with  the  Czar,  I  went  and  informed  him  of  the  sud- 
den death  of  Mr.  Kelderman.  His  majesty's  con- 
cern at  the  event  brought  him  immediately  to  the 
house,  where  he  condoled  with  the  widow  for  the 
loss  of  her  husband,  ordered  an  honorable  burial  of 
the  deceased  at  his  own  expense,  and  settled  on  her 
an  annuity  for  life. ' ' 

If  we  were  to  draw  a  conclusion,  as  to  the  man- 
ners and  character  of  a  nation,  from  the  riotous  and 
disgusting  scenes  that  are  exhibited  by  the  unre- 
strained licentiousness  that  prevails  in  such  festivi- 
ties as  carnivals,  when  full  scope  is  given  to  the  in- 
dulgence of  the  passions,  Ave  should  certainly  arrive 
at  a  very  unfavorable  one  with  regard  to  the  Eus- 
sians  at  the  time  of  the  Czar  Peter.  He  has  been 
blamed  indeed  for  not  having  put  a  stop  to  such 
scenes  as  these ;  but  it  should  be  recollected,  that 
he  had  already  offended  the  nobles  and  the  whole 
hierarchy  by  the  many  important  changes  he  had 
made  and  was  still  making ;  he  had  offended  also 
the  great  mass  of  the  peasantry  by  forcing  them  to 
part  with  their  beards,  or  to  pay  a  tax  for  the  privi- 
lege of  retaining  them.  He  might  think  it  there- 
fore not  quite  prudent  to  forbid  the  use  of  spirituous 
liquors,  in  a  climate  too  where,  taken  in  moderation, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  ^8^ 

they  were  considered  conducive  to  the  preservation 
of  health.  May  he  not  besides  have  supposed  that, 
by  inflicting  as  a  punishment  what  was  before  re- 
garded as  a  pleasure,  he  might  hope  to  lessen  the 
abuse? 

By  the  public  exhibition  of  the  mock  patriarch, 
and  the  ridicule  meant  thereby  to  be  thrown  on  the 
office,  the  Czar  was  accused  of  intending  to  bring 
religion  into  contempt, — but  Peter  had  no  such  in- 
tention. 'No  man  had  a  higher  sense  of  the  duties 
which  religion  required — no  man  more  regularly 
performed  those  duties, — no  man  had  a  greater  ven- 
eration for  the  Deity  than  Peter  I.  of  Kussia.  He 
never  gajned  or  lost  a  battle  that  he  did  not  take 
the  first  opportunity  of  returning  thanks  to  God ;  if 
for  victory,  ascribing  the  honor  and  glory  to  him 
alone  to  whom  it  was  due ;  if  defeat,  to  express  his 
thanks  for  an  escape  from  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
In  all  his  travels  he  never  failed  to  attend  divine 
service,  whether  Catholic,  Lutheran,  or  Protestant, 
— even  the  Quakers'  meeting-houses,  as  we  have 
seen.  A  little  trait  on  his  second  visit  to  Holland 
will  shortly  be  noticed,  to  prove  that  his  devotion 
was  not  mere  ceremony  or  ostentation  :  it  occurred 
on  a  visit  he  made  to  the  mean  lodging  he  had  occu- 
pied eighteen  years  before  at  Zaandam.  Whatever 
faults,  therefore,  he  might  have,  and  they  were 
many  and  great,  a  neglect  or  contempt  of  religious 
duties  was  not  one  of  them. 

During  his  stay  at  St.  Petersburg  in  the  year 


284  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

1714,  and  the  early  part  of  1715,  he  saw  his  favorite 
new  capital  flourishing  in  a  high  degree.  The  pro- 
hibition of  goods,  imported  at  Archangel,  being 
sent  as  heretofore  to  Moscow,  drove  the  merchants 
and  traders  of  that  capital  to  St.  Petersburg ;  the 
whole  court  also  removed  to  the  latter.  Most  of  the 
houses  had  been  built  of  wood,  but  an  order  was  now 
given  that  all  buildings  should  be  of  brick  and  covered 
with  tiles.  The  superb  palace  of  Peterhoff  was  in 
progress.  He  employed  about  40,000  people,  Eus- 
sians,  Swedish,  and  Finland  prisoners,  in  finishing 
his  dockyard,  erecting  wharves,  building  ships,  rais- 
ing fortifications,  and  other  works.  Many  of  these 
poor  people  fell  victims  to  disease,  to  cold,  and 
nakedness;  but  the  humane  Catharine  distributed 
winter  clothing  and  money  to  such  as  were  most  in 
need  of  them.  He  built  an  academy,  under  the 
direction  of  a  Frenchman  named  St.  Hilaire,  in 
which  languages,  mathematics,  fencing,  riding,  and 
other  matters  suited  to  the  education  of  a  gentle- 
man were  taught.  He  caused  the  great  globe  of 
Gottorp,  which  was  given  to  him  as  a  present  by 
the  King  of  Denmark,  to  be  moved  on  rollers  over 
the  snow  to  Riga,  and  from  thence  by  sea  to  St. 
Petersburg.  It  was  made  by  order  of  the  Duke  of 
Holstein,  from  a  design  found  among  the  papers  of 
the  celebrated  Tycho  Brah6,  by  one  Andrew  Bush, 
under  the  direction  of  Olearius.  It  is  a  large  hollow 
sphere  eleven  feet  in  diameter,  containing  a  table 
and  seats  for  twelve  persons.     The  stars  are  distin- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  285 

guished,  according  to  their  magnitudes,  by  gilded 
nails;  the  outside  represents  the  terrestrial  globe. '^ 
Peter  also  held  out  encouragement  for  foreign  artifi- 
cers and  men  of  science  to  come  to  his  capital  on 
promise  of  supplying  them  with  houses  rent  free, 
and  exemption  from  all  taxes  for  ten  years. 
He  despatched  Lange,  on  commercial  objects, 
over  Siberia  to  China;  his  engineers  were  em- 
ployed in  laying  down  maps  throughout  the  whole 
empire. 

At  this  time  St.  Petersburg  was  visited  by  two 
ambassadors  from  the  East ;  the  one  from  Persia, 
bringing  with  him  an  elephant  and  five  lions  as 
presents  for  the  Czar;  the  other  from  Mehemet 
Bahadar,  Khan  of  the  Usbeks,  to  solicit  his  protec- 
tion against  the  Tartars ;  such  was  the  renown  which 
Peter  had  acquired  in  these  distant  countries  by  his 
great  exploits.  About  the  same  time  the  Dpnski 
Cossacks,  who  had  revolted  with  Mazeppa,  sent  an 
embassy  to  make  their  submission  and  implore  par- 
don, which  was  readily  granted.  There  were  also 
at  this  time  four  unfortunate  refugees  in  the  new 
capital, — Cantimir,  the  Hospodar  of  Moldavia,  the 
two  sons  of  Cantecusena,  late  Hospodar  of  Wal- 
lachia,  and  Miletetski,  Prince  of  Georgia,  who  had 
been  stripped  of  his  dominions  by  the  Shah  of  Per- 
sia.    All  these  strangers,  together  with  the  native 

*  Dr.  Long,  of  Pembroke  College,  Cambridge,  caused  a 
globe  of  this  kind  to  be  made  of  eighteen  feet  diameter,  and 
capable  of  containing  thirty  persons. 


286  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

and  foreign  merchants,  who  flock  to  the  new  capital, 
with  the  shipping  and  the  dock-yards  on  the  Neva, 
contributed  to  make  St.  Petersburg  a  busy,  bustling, 
lively  city. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Charles  XII.  returns  to  Sweden — The  Czar  visits  Holland, 
France,  and  Prussia. 

In  the  midst  of  the  festivities  of  St.  Petersburg, 
Charles  XII.  made  his  sudden  appearance  at  Stral- 
sund.  His  strange  and  outrageous  conduct  had 
wearied  out  the  patience  of  the  Turk ;  and  after  his 
last  mad  exploit  at  Bender,*  not  surpassed  in  ab- 
surdity by  the  most  absurd  adventure  that  the  fer- 
tile imagination  of  Cervantes  conceived  for  Don 
Quixote,  the  Knight  of  the  Woful  Countenance,  he 
was  no  longer  left  at  liberty,  neither  had  he  the 
means  to  repeat  this  or  any  other  of  his  mad  freaks. 
He  wisely,  therefore,  for  once,  consented  to  leave 
the  country,  and  on  the  14th  November,  1714,  made 
his  appearance,  in  disguise,  at  the  gates  of  Stral- 
sund. 

The  first  unwise  thing  he  did,  after  his  return,  was 
to  take  Goertz  into  his  confidence,  who,  to  his  mis- 
fortune, obtained  a  greater  sway  over  his  mind  than 
Piper  ever  had ;  the  second  was  to  ask  money  from 
the  citizens  of  Stockholm  to  raise  and  support  an 

*  Voltaire's  Charles  XII, 

287 


288  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

army  of  25,000  men;  and  the  third,  to  quarrel  with 
the  King  of  Prussia,  in  particular,  and  to  reject  all 
propositions  for  a  negotiation  on  the  part  of  the 
allies, — of  whom,  from  the  Elbe  to  the  Baltic,  Peter 
was  the  head  and  support.  These  allies  either 
wished  to  retain  portions  of  the  Swedish  dominions 
which  they  had  acquired  during  the  war,  or  to  get 
possession  of  others,  most  of  which  had  been  con- 
quests of  the  great  Gustavus,  and  which  they  natur- 
ally wished  to  win  back.  These  allies  of  the  Czar 
were  the  King  of  Prussia,  the  King  of  Denmark, 
the  King  of  Poland,  and  the  King  of  England, 
Elector  of  Hanover. 

Formidable  as  this  host  of  claimants  was,  Charles 
succeeded  in  getting  the  money  from  his  exhausted 
subjects.  "What  little  they  had,"  says  Yoltaire, 
' '  they  freely  parted  with ;  there  was  no  refusing 
anything  to  a  prince  who  only  asked  to  give ;  who 
lived  as  hard  as  the  soldiery,  and  exposed  his  life  no 
less  than  the}^ :  his  misfortunes,  his  distresses,  his 
captivity,  his  return,  affected  both  his  subjects  and 
foreigners;  he  was  blamed,  admired,  and  assisted." 
The  same  author's  estimate  of  his  qualities  is  very 
just: — '^  The  glory  of  Charles  was  quite  of  an  op- 
posite kind  to  that  of  Peter :  it  had  not  the  least 
affinity  with  the  establishment  of  arts,  with  legisla- 
tion, policy,  and  commerce ;  it  was  limited  to  his 
person  :  his  principal  merit  was  a  very  extraordinary 
valor ;  he  defended  his  dominions  with  a  fortitude 
equal  to  his  bravery,  which  could  not  but  strike 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  289 

nations  with  respect  for  him :  he  had  more  well- 
wishers  than  allies."* 

In  April,  1715,  the  Prussians,  Danes,  and  Saxons 
united  their  forces  before  Stralsund;  and  thus 
Charles,  besieged  on  the  shores  of  the  Baltic,  had 
only  escaped  from  a  foreign  prison  to  be  confined  in 
one  of  his  own.  Towards  the  end  of  the  year, 
Stralsund,  reduced  to  a  heap  of  ruins,  surrendered 
to  the  King  of  Prussia ;  but  Charles,  at  the  risk  of 
his  life,  escaped  in  a  small  boat,  with  ten  persons 
only,  his  officers  having  actually  forced  him  to  quit 
the  place.  He  landed  at  Carlscrona,  where  he  re- 
mained the  whole  winter,  ordering  new  levies,  and 
drawing  plans  for  his  future  conquests.  When  his 
friend  Decker,  who  had  delivered  up  the  place, 
came  before  him,  the  king  reproached  him  for  hav- 
ing capitulated  with  his  enemies :  "I  had  your 
glory  too  much  at  heart, ' '  answered  Decker,  ' '  to 
hold  out  in  a  town  which  your  majesty  had 
quitted." 

The  Czar,  in  the  meantime,  had  conquered  all 
Finland,  and  left  an  army  there  under  Prince  Galit- 
zin.  Marshal  Scherematof  was  in  Pomerania,  with 
14,000  or  15,000  men.  Weimar  had  surrendered 
on  capitulation.  In  Poland  were  distributed  30,000 
Pussians,  under  Generals  Bruce  and  Bauer.  Peter 
had  conquered  the  provinces  of  Livonia  and  Estho- 
nia,  on  the  eastern  shores  of  the  Baltic,  and  the 
whole  of  both  the  coasts  of  the  Gulf  of  Finland 
*  History  of  the  Russiau  Empire, 

19 


290  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

were  in  his  possession.  Having,  therefore,  nothing 
to  apprehend  on  the  part  of  Sweden,  he  now  under- 
took a  second  tour  through  Europe,  in  which  he 
was  accompanied  by  his  beloved  Catharine.  He 
visited  in  succession  Stralsund,  Mecklenburg,  Ham- 
burg, Pyrmont,  and  returned  to  Schwerin.  From 
thence  he  went  to  Rostock,  where  forty-five  of  his 
large  galleys  had  arrived,  to  carry  troops  to  the 
island  of  Rugen,  which  being  landed,  he  hoisted  his 
flag,  and  took  the  command  of  the  galleys,  proceed- 
ing with  them  to  Copenhagen.  Here  he  remained 
from  two  to  three  months,  visiting,  with  his  con- 
sort, all  the  places  that  were  deemed  worth  seeing ; 
and,  during  this  time,  the  royal  guests  Avere  splen- 
didly entertained  by  the  King  of  Denmark. 

While  the  Czar  was  on  this  visit,  a  British  squad- 
ron of  ships,  under  Sir  John  Korris,  and  a  squadron 
of  Dutch  ships,  commanded  by  Rear-admiral  Grave, 
arrived  in  Copenhagen  roads,  each  with  convoys  of 
several  hundred  vessels.  The  Swedes  had  a  large 
force  at  sea,  and  Peter  proposed  to  Sir  John  Norris 
to  join  the  Russian  and  Danish  fleets  with  the  other 
two,  and  putting  to  sea,  proceed  to  look  out  for  the 
Swedish  fleet.  After  some  discussion,  it  was  agreed 
that  the  Czar  should  hoist  his  standard  on  board  his 
largest  galley,  which  was  manned  with  500  men,  as 
commander-in-chief  of  the  united  fleets :  he  was  ac- 
cordingly saluted,  on  hoisting  his  flag,  by  the  flag- 
ships of  the  other  three  admirals.  They  had  very 
§Qon  intelligence  of  the  Swedes  having  put  into 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  291 

Carlscrona;  and  therefore  the  English  and  Dutch 
admirals  each  proceeded  with  their  respective  con- 
voys, and  the  Czar  and  the  Danes  returned  to  Copen- 
hagen. Peter  made  no  scruple  to  declare  that  he 
felt  it  to  be  the  proudest  moment  of  his  life  when 
he  hoisted  his  flag  to  command  these  four  united 
fleets.  * 

Having  taken  leave  of  the  court  of  Denmark,  the 
Czar  and  Czarina  set  out  for  Hamburg ;  from  thence 
Peter  proceeded  alone  to  Lubeck,  and  on  to  Havel- 
berg,  where  he  had  a  private  interview  with  the 
King  of  Prussia.  He  then  returned,  by  the  Elbe, 
to  Hamburg,  but  stopped  a  night  at  ISTymagen, 
where  he  arrived  late,  with  only  two  attendants,  in 
a  common  post-chaise.  Having  taken  some  poached 
eggs  and  a  little  bread  and  cheese,  he  retired  to 
rest,  and  his  companions  had  a  bottle  of  wine. 
When  starting,  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning, 
one  of  the  gentlemen  asked  the  landlord  what  was 
to  pay  ?  '  *  One  hundred  ducats, ' '  f  was  the  answer. 
' '  What !  ' '  cried  the  astonished  Russian.  ' '  One 
hundred  ducats, ' '    repeated  mine  host ;    ' '  for  my 

*  Sir  John  Norris,  in  one  of  his  despatches,  describes  the 
Czar's  visit  to  his  ship  :  "  He  is  pleased  to  be  very  curious  in 
his  inquiries ;  and  there  is  not  a  part  of  the  ship  he  is  not 
desirous  of  examining.  The  improvements  he  has  made,  by  the 
help  of  English  builders,  are  such  as  a  seaman  would  think 
almost  impossible  for  a  nation  so  lately  used  to  the  sea.  Tliey 
have  built  three  sixty-gun  ships,  which  are  every  way  equal 
to  the  best  of  that  rank  in  our  country." 

f  The  ducat  was  valued  at  about  $2.28. 


292  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

part  I  should  be  glad  to  give  a  thousand,  if  I  was 
the  Czar  of  Russia. ' '  Peter  asked  the  man  if  eggs 
were  so  very  scarce  in  that  place.  ''  IS^o,"  said 
Boniface,  ' '  but  emperors  are. ' ' 

He  arrived  at  Amsterdam  about  the  middle  of 
December,  where  he  was  received  with  every  pos- 
sible mark  of  respect  and  attention.  The  Earl  of 
Albemarle  (Yan  Keppel)  and  three  of  the  burgo- 
masters met  him  on  his  entry,  and  the  earl  addressed 
him  in  a  pompous,  flowery  speech,  in  the  Dutch 
language.  ' '  I  thank  you  heartily, ' '  said  Peter, 
''  though  I  don't  understand  much  of  what  you  say. 
I  learned  my  Dutch  among  ship-builders,  but  the 
sort  of  language  you  have  spoken  I  am  sure  I  never 
learned. ' '  Peter  had  a  great  dislike  to  all  kind  of 
ceremony.  Being  invited  to  dine  with  some  mer- 
chants and  builders,  they  addressed  him  "  your  maj- 
esty," and  in  speaking  made  use  of  ceremonious 
and  courtly  language.  Peter  cut  short  their  dis- 
course with,  ' '  Come,  brothers,  let  us  converse  like 
plain  and  honest  ship-carpenters. ' '  A  servant  was 
pouring  out  a  glass  of  beer  for  him — ''  Give  me  the 
can^ ' '  said  he,  laughing ;  "I  can  now  drink  out  of 
this  jug  as  much  as  I  like,  and  nobody  can  tell  how 
much. ' '  In  this  way  did  he  put  his  old  friends  at 
their  ease. 

The  Czarina  had  remained  at  Schwerin,  indis- 
posed, but  finding  herself  soon  able  to  travel,  she 
preceeded  towards  Holland,  to  join  her  husband. 
She  got  no  farther,  however,  than  Wesel,   where 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

she  was  delivered  of  a  prince,  who  died  the  next 
day.  It  was  intended  she  should  pass  her  confine- 
ment in  Holland,  and  the  Czar's  old  associates  per- 
suaded themselves  it  would  be  most  highly  gratifying 
to  him  if  his  consort  should  produce  a  young  Pieter 
van  Zaandam^  in  the  midst  of  his  early  and  honest 
friends  and  fellow-laborers.  It  may  be  imagined 
with  what  joy  and  fondness  he  was  received  by 
the  tradesmen,  and  seamen,  and  ship-carpenters  of 
Zaandam,  among  whom  he  had  lived  so  long  as  their 
companion.  It  was  no  sooner  known  that  his  yacht 
was  arrived  than  the  whole  quay  was  crowded,  and 
''  WelJcom,  welkom^  Pieter  Baas^''''  resounded  from 
a  thousand  mouths.  A  respectable  female  rushed 
forward  to  greet  him,  as  he  stepped  on  shore. 
<<  My  good  lady,"  he  says,  ^'how  do  you  know 
who  I  am?  "  ''  By  your  majesty  being,  some  nine- 
teen years  ago,  so  frequently  at  our  house  and 
table ;  I  am  the  wife  of  Baas  Pool. ' '  He  immediately 
recognized,  embraced,  and  kissed  her  on  the  fore- 
head, and  invited  himself  to  dine  with  her  that  very 
day.  So  little  difference  did  his  old  companions  find 
in  his  manners  and  conduct  after  a  lapse  of  nineteen 
years,  and  the  various  scenes  and  situations  through 
which  he  had  passed!  The  only  change  they 
noticed  was  his  now  being  able  to  endure  a  crowd, 
and  to  be  stared  at.  His  movements  were  as  rapid 
as  before,  and  his  eye  as  piercing  as  ever. 

One  of  his  first  visits  was  to  the  little  cottage  in 
which,  some  nineteen  years  before,  he  had  dwelt. 


294  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

when  learning  the  art  of  ship- building ;  he. found  it 
kept  up  in  neat  order,  and  dignified  with  the  name 
of  the  Princess  House.  This  little  cottage  is  still 
carefully  preserved.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  neat 
building  with  large  arched  windows,  having  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  conservatory  or  green-house,  which 
was  erected,  in  1823,  by  order  of  the  present  Prin- 
cess of  Orange,  sister  to  the  late  Emperor  Alexan- 
der, who  purchased  it  to  secure  its  preservation. 
In  the  first  room  you  still  see  the  little  oak  table 
and  three  chairs  which  constituted  its  furniture  when 
Peter  occupied  it.  Over  the  chimney-piece  is  in- 
scribed, 

Petro  Magno 

Alexander, 
and  in  the  Russian  and  Dutch, 

'-^  To  a  Great  Man  nothing  is  little. ' ' 

The  ladder  to  the  loft  still  remains,  and  in  the 
second  little  room  below  are  some  models  and 
several  of  his  Avorking- tools.  Thousands  of  names 
are  scribbled  over  every  part  of  this  once  humble 
residence  of  Peter  the  Great. 

On  entering  this  cottage,  Peter  is  said  to  have 
been  evidently  affected.  Eecovering  himself,  he 
ascended  the  loft,  where  was  a  small  closet,  in 
which  he  had  been  accustomed  to  perform  his  devo- 
tions, and  remained  there  alone  a  full  half-hour; 
with  what  various  emotions  his  mind  must  have 
been  affected  while  in  this  situation  could  be  knowu 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  205 

only  to  himself,  but  may  easily  be  imagined.  It 
could  hardly  fail  to  recall  to  his  recollection  the 
happy  period  when  he  ' '  communed  with  his  own 
heart ' '  in  this  sacred  little  chamber,  and  ' '  remem- 
bered his  Creator  in  the  days  of  his  youth," — days 
which  he  might  naturally  enough  be  led  to  compare 
and  contrast  with  those  of  the  last  nineteen  years  of 
his  life,  filled  up  as  they  had  been  with  many  and 
varied  incidents,  painful,  hazardous,  disastrous,  and 
glorious. 

Every  one  was  anxious  to  bring  to  his  recollection 
any  little  circumstance  in  which  he  had  been  con- 
cerned,— among  others,  a  beautiful  boat  was  brought 
to  him  as  a  present,  in  the  building  of  which  he 
himself  had  done  ' '  yeoman  service. ' '  He  was  de- 
lighted to  see  that  this  ancient  piece  of  the  work- 
manship of  his  own  hands  had  been  preserved  with 
such  care.  He  caused  it  to  be  put  on  board  a  ship 
bound  for  St.  Petersburg,  but  she  was  unfortunately 
captured  by  the  Swedes ;  and  the  boat  is  still  kept 
in  the  arsenal  of  Stockholm. 

With  his  old  acquaintance  Kist,  the  blacksmith, 
he  visited  the  smithy,  which  was  so  dirty  that  the 
gentleman  of  his  suite  who  attended  him  was  re- 
treating, but  Peter  stopped  him,  to  blow  the  bel- 
lows and  heat  a  piece  of  iron,  which,  when  so  done, 
he  beat  out  with  the  great  hammer.  Kist  was  still 
but  a  journeyman  blacksmith,  and  the  Czar,  out  of 
compassion  for  his  old  acquaintance,  made  him  a 
handsome  present. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

The  emperor  was  noAV  determined  to  visit  the 
capital  of  France,  taking  with  him  the  princes 
Kourakin  and  Dolgorouki,  the  vice-chancellor  Baron 
Shaffiroff,  and  the  ambassador  Tolstoy.  Peter  at 
first  had  some  reluctance  to  take  this  journey,  on 
account  of  his  ignorance  of  the  French  language, 
but  he  overcame  this :  he  determined,  however, 
that  Catharine  should  not  on  any  account  accompany 
him,  but  remain  in  Holland  till  his  return.  It  was 
not  from  any  dread  that  the  encumbrances  of  cere- 
mony or  the  curiosity  of  a  court  might  be  irksome 
to  her,  nor  that  the  French  were  incapable  of  esti- 
mating the  merit  of  a  woman  who,  from  the  banks 
of  the  Pruth  to  the  shores  of  Finland,  had,  by  her 
husband's  side,  faced  death,  both  by  sea  and  land, 
— the  French  were  of  all  other  nations  the  most 
likely  to  appreciate  heroic  qualities  like  these  in  a 
female :  no,  it  was  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  her 
delicacy  being  wounded  by  the  affected  squeamish- 
ness  of  a  court  which  might  not  assign  to  her  that 
place,  or  pay  her  that  respect,  to  which  her  situa- 
tion entitled  her.  There  was,  it  is  true,  some  simi- 
larity between  the  marriage  of  the  deceased  Louis 
XI Y.  and  Peter, — with  this  difference,  Avhich  Yol- 
taire  admits,  that  Peter  had  pullicly  married  a 
heroine,  Louis,  privately^  a  clever  and  agreeable 
woman. 

Great  preparations  were  made  at  Paris  for  the 
reception  of  the  Czar.  Coaches,  attended  with  a 
squadron  of  guards,  had  been  sent  out  to  meet  him, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  297 

but,  with  his  usual  rapidity  and  dislike  of  ceremony, 
he  outstripped  his  intended  escort.  It  had  been 
arranged  that  he  and  his  court  should  be  splendidly 
lodged  and  entertained  at  the  Louvre,  but  Peter's 
object  being  to  avoid  as  much  as  possible  all  the  idle 
ceremonies  which  would  interfere  with  his  pursuits, 
he  went  that  very  evening  to  lodge  at  the  Hotel  de 
Lesdiguieres  at  the  other  end  of  the  town,  where  he 
might  be  master  of  his  own  time  and  at  his  ease. 
His  reply  to  the  servants  of  the  sovereign  was,  ' '  I 
am  a  soldier ;  a  little  bread  and  beer  satisfy  me ;  I 
prefer  small  apartments  to  l^rge  ones.  I  have  no 
desire  to  be  attended  with  pomp  and  ceremony,  nor 
to  give  trouble  to  so  many  people." 

If  Peter  had  been  open  to  flattery,  he  found  an 
ample  store  in  Paris  to  gratify  any  avidity  he  might 
possess  on  that  score.  Happening  to  dine  with  the 
Duke  d'Autin,  he  perceived  in  the  dining-room  his 
portrait  fresh  painted.  On  visiting  the  mint,  a 
medal  was  struck  which  was  purposely  suffered  to 
fall  from  the  die  just  at  his  feet ;  on  taking  it  up  he 
found  it  to  be  a  medal  of  himself,  on  the  obverse 
of  which  was  a  Fame,  with  this  motto,  Vires  ac- 
quirit  eimdo.'^  Wherever  he  went,  the  portraits 
of  the  Czar  and  Czarina  stared  him  in  the  face.  On 
visiting  the  artists,  whatever  picture  he  most  ad- 
mired he  was  requested  to  accept,  in  the  king's 
name.  He  went  to  see  the  tapestry  of  the  Gob- 
elins, the  carpets  of  the  Savonnerie,  the  different 
**'  She  acquires  strength  in  her  progress," 


S98  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

apartments  of  the  king's  sculptors,  painters,  gold- 
smiths, and  mathematical  instrument  makers;  and 
whatever  seemed  most  to  attract  his  regards  was 
offered  to  him  in  the  same  style.  He  visited  the 
Academy  of  Sciences,  and  his  name  Avas  enrolled 
among  the  number  of  its  members.  In  short,  he 
made  a  point  of  seeing  all  that  was  curious  for  mag- 
nificence, ingenuity,  or  utility.  He  had  so  far  got 
the  better  of  his  shyness  since  the  period  of  his  visit 
to  England,  that  he  went  to  see  the  French  parlia- 
ment when  sitting,  and  attended  in  state  the  ser- 
vice of  several  of  the  churches. 

Paris  no  doubt  offered  a  variety  of  objects  to  de- 
light and  astonish  the  northern  hero ;  but  nothing 
perhaps  gave  him  a  higher  degree  of  pleasure  and 
admiration,  than  to  see  an  operation  performed  on 
a  man  perfectly  blind,  whom  Mr.  Wallace,  an  Eng- 
lish oculist,  restored  to  sight.  He  was  brought  to 
the  Hotel  Lesdiguieres  for  the  purpose  of  perform- 
ing the  operation  in  presence  of  the  Czar.  It  was 
observed  that  his  majesty,  when  the  needle  was  first 
put  to  the  eye,  turned  away  his  head  for  a  moment. 
The  operation  was  successful;  and  Peter  was  so 
much  delighted,  that  he  engaged  Mr.  Wallace  to 
receive  and  instruct  a  pupil  whom  he  designed  to 
send  to  him  on  his  return  to  Eussia. 

Peter  paid  a  visit  to  the  splendid  tomb  of  Cardi- 
nal Richelieu,  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  sculpture 
in  Paris :  he  contemplated  the  statue  of  that  cele- 
brated minister,  to  whom  France  owed  so  much  of 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GllEAT.  ^99 

her  glory  and  prosperity,  with  fixed  attention  for 
some  time,  and  at  last  is  said  to  have  exclaimed, 
''Thou  great  man!  I  would  have  given  thee  one 
half  of  my  dominions,  to  learn  of  thee  how  to 
govern  the  other. ' ' 

He  also  showed  himself  at  the  Sorbonne,  where 
the  doctors  had  the  bad  taste  to  thrust  into  his  hands 
a  memorial,  in  which  they  expressed  their  anxiety 
for  the  reunion  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches, 
about  which  the  Czar  probably  never  had  troubled 
himself,  or,  if  he  did,  it  was  very  unlikely  that  he, 
the  patriarch,  or  at  least  the  head,  of  the  Greek 
church  would  submit  to  acknowledge  either  the 
temporal  or  spiritual  sovereignty  of  the  Pope.  He 
received  this  pedantic  memorial  with  great  affabil- 
ity, but  told  its  authors  he  was  a  soldier  and  had  not 
much  attended  to  controversial  matters,  which  he 
supposed  were  contained  in  their  paper,  and  that  his 
bishops  were  better  versed  in  them  than  himself. 
The  Kussian  bishops,  however,  were  indignant  at 
the  proposal.  Yoltaire  says  it  was  to  dissipate  the 
apprehensions  of  such  a  reunion  that,  some  time 
after,  when,  in  1718,  he  had  expelled  the  Jesuits 
out  of  his  dominions,  he  renewed  the  farce  already 
described  under  the  name  of  the  Conclave. 

As  when  in  England,  so  now  in  France,  Peter  en- 
gaged and  carried  back  with  him  artists  and  mechan- 
ics of  various  kinds,  in  procuring  whom  he  met  with 
no  difficulty.  He  had  seen  all  the  trades  and  man- 
ufactories of  the  capital  and  its  neighborhood,  and 


300  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

knew  what  would  best  suit  his  own  country.  His 
visit,  however,  was  not  confined  to  matters  of  this 
kind.  He  drew  up  with  his  own  hand  the  minutes 
of  a  treaty  of  commerce,  which  his  ministers  nego- 
tiated after  his  departure.  He  had  also  several 
communications  with  the  French  ministers  relating 
to  the  peace  between  the  northern  powers. 

Having  taken  leave  of  France,  he  hastened  to 
Amsterdam  to  rejoin  Catharine,  who,  during  his  ab- 
sence, had  been  treated  with  every  mark  of  kind- 
ness and  attention  by  the  Dutch  authorities,  and 
amused  on  the  water  with  sailing  parties  and  sham- 
fights. 

It  was  the  invariable  custom  of  Peter,  when  trav- 
eling, to  inquire  at  every  city,  town,  or  even  vil- 
lage, if  there  was  anything  remarkable  or  extraor- 
dinary to  be  seen ;  and  whenever  it  happened  that 
something  was  mentioned,  no  matter  what,  he  im- 
mediately uttered  his  old  Dutch  expression,  "  Dat 
vnl  ilc  zien  " — "I  shall  see  that;  "  so  eager  was  he 
to  obtain  knowledge  of  every  description.  In  pass- 
ing through  Wittemberg,  in  Saxony,  on  his  way  to 
Berlin,  he  asked  the  innkeeper  if  there  was  nothing 
particular  to  be  seen  in  that  place.  ''  Not  much," 
was  the  answer,  ' '  except,  perhaps,  the  old  palace 
of  the  elector,  wherein  are  the  apartment  and  the 
study  occupied  by  Luther,  and  his  monument  in  the 
church. " — "  Dat  wil  ik  zien  ;  ' '  and  while  dinner  was 
preparing  he  hurried  away  to  the  church,  where  he 
saw  placed  on  the  tomb  of  Luther  a  statue  in  bronze 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  301 

as  large  as  life.  "  This  is  not  too  much,"  said  the 
Czar,  ' '  for  so  great  a  man. "  On  entering  the 
apartment  where  Luther  lived  and  died,  the  conduc- 
tor pointed  out  a  large  spot  of  ink  on  the  wall,  and 
said  that  the  devil  having  appeared  one  day  to 
Luther  while  he  was  writing,  and  teased  and  an- 
noyed him  beyond  all  patience,  he  took  up  his  ink- 
stand and  hurled  it  at  the  head  of  the  "  foul  fiend," 
but  it  struck  the  wall,  and  every  attempt  to  efface 
the  mark  has  failed.  Peter  laughed  at  so  ridiculous 
a  story,  not  believing  that  so  learned  a  man  could 
possibly  imagine  that  he  saw  the  devil.  Perceiving 
the  smoky  walls  covered  with  the  names  of  visitors, 
' '  1  must  add  mine, ' '  said  Peter ;  and  taking  from 
his  pocket  a  bit  of  chalk,  wrote  his  name  in  Russian 
characters  close  to  the  spot  of  ink.  As  a  memorial 
of  the  handwriting  of  this  great  man,  a  small  box 
with  a  grating  in  front  of  it  was  placed  over  the 
name.  ''  I  saw  it,"  says  Stsehlin,  ''in  my  way  to 
Russia  in  the  year  1735." 

In  proceeding  to  Berlin  the  Czar  traveled  post, 
leaving  the  Czarina  and  the  court  to  follow  at  their 
leisure.  He  entered  Berlin  at  a  late  hour,  and 
alighted  at  a  lodging  which  his  ambassador  had  pre- 
pared for  him.  Frederick  sent  his  grand  master  of 
the  ceremonies  to  wait  on  him  and  to  compliment 
him  on  his  arrival.  The  Czar  gave  them  to  under- 
stand his  stay  would  be  very  short,  and  that,  if  the 
king  pleased,  he  would  wait  upon  him  the  next  day 
at  noon,     Accoi^dingly,  two  hours  before  the  time. 


302  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

six  of  the  most  splendid  court-carriages  came  to  the 
Czar's  lodging,  in  each  of  which  was  a  young  Rus- 
sian nobleman  whom  the  Czar  had  sent  to  study  at 
Berlin.  The  carriages  and  the  retinue  waited  till 
noon,  when  they  were  informed  that  the  Czar  was 
already  with  the  king.  He  had  slipped  out  of  the 
back-door  and  walked  to  the  palace.  The  king  was 
greatly  surprised ;  but  the  Czar,  thanking  him  for 
his  polite  attention,  said,  "I  am  not  accustomed 
to  such  magnificence — I  dislike  parade,  and  always 
Avalk  whenever  I  can.  1  frequently  walk  five  times 
the  distance  I  have  done  to-day." 

Two  days  after  this  the  Czarina  and  the  whole 
court  arrived,  and  Avere  escorted  to  a  beautiful  house 
and  garden,  belonging  to  the  Queen  of  Prussia,  situ- 
ated on  the  banks  of  the  river,  named  Mon  Bijou. 
Yoltaire  is  pleased  to  say  that  the  new  King  of 
Prussia  was  not  less  an  enemy  to  the  vanities  of 
ceremony  and  magnificence  than  the  Russian  mon- 
arch; that  a  king,  in  a  wooden  arm-chair,  and 
clothed  like  a  common  soldier,  denying  himself  all 
the  delicacies  of  the  table,  and  all  the  conveniences 
of  life,  was  a  rebuke  to  the  etiquette  of  Vienna  and 
Spain,  the  punctilio  of  Italy,  and  the  predominant 
fondness  for  luxury  in  France :  he  observes  that  the 
manner  of  living  of  the  Czar  and  Czarina  was  in 
like  plainness  and  severity ;  and  that  had  Charles 
XII.  been  with  them,  four  crowned  heads  would 
have  been  seen  together  with  less  haughty  pomp 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  303 

about  them  than  a  German  bishop,  or  a  Eoman 
cardinal.* 

This  may  be  true  as  regards  the  private  habits  of 
the  King  and  Queen  of  Prussia ;  but  the  Czar  and 
Czarina  were  treated  with  more  of  pride  and  pomp 
in  the  manner  of  living  than  plainness  and  severity. 
Their  reception  at  this  court,  as  described  by  an  eye- 
witness, is  curious  and  interesting ;  but  the  writer 
at  a  mature  age  describes  what  her  impressions 
were  when  she  was  a  child  of  eight  years 
old :— t 

'^The  Czar  and  Czarina  with  all  their  attendants 
came  by  water  to  Mon  Bijou.  The  king  and  queen 
received  them  on  the  shore.  The  king  handed  the 
Czarina  out  of  the  boat.  The  Czar,  taking  the  king 
by  the  hand,  said,  'I  am  overjoyed  to  see  you, 
brother  Frederick ;  '  he  then  approached  the  queen 
to  embrace  her,  but  she  looked  as  if  she  would  have 
rather  been  excused.  They  were  attended,"  the 
writer  says,  '^  by  a  whole  train  of  what  were  called 
ladies  as  part  of  their  suite,  consisting  chiefly  of 
young  German  women,  who  performed  the  part  of 
ladies'  maids,  chamber-maids,  cooks,  and  washer- 
women; almost  all  of  whom  had  a  richly-clothed 
child  in  their  arms.  The  queen,"  she  says,  ''re- 
fused to  salute  these  creatures. 

''The  Czarina  is  short  and  lusty,  remarkably 
coarse,  without  grace  and  animation.     One  need 

*  Voltaire. 

t  Memoires  de  la  Margrave  de  Bareith. 


304:  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

only  see  her  to  be  satisfied  of  her  low  birth.  At 
the  first  blush  one  would  take  her  for  a  German 
actress.  Her  clothes  looked  as  if  bought  at  a  doll- 
shop  ;  everything  was  so  old-fashioned,  and  so  be- 
decked with  silver  and  tinsel.  She  was  decorated 
with  a  dozen  orders,  portraits  of  saints,  and  relics, 
which  occasioned  such  a  clatter  {geklinh  Mank)^  that 
when  she  Avalked  one  would  suppose  an  ass  with 
bells  was  approaching.  The  Czar,  on  the  contrary, 
was  tall  and  well  made.  His  countenance  is  hand- 
some, but  there  is  something  in  it  so  rude  that  it  in- 
spires one  with  dread ;  he  was  dressed  like  a  sea- 
man, in  a  frock  without  lace  or  ornament." 

At  table  the  Czar  was  placed  next  to  the  queen. 
''It  is  well  known,"  this  lady  says,  "that  in  his 
youth  the  Czar  was  once  poisoned ;  the  subtle  venom 
fell  upon  his  nerves,  whence  he  is  still  subject  to  a 
kind  of  convulsive  twitching  which  he  cannot  over- 
come. He  had  one  of  these  while  at  table,  and  at 
the  moment  he  happened  to  have  a  knife  in  his 
hand,  with  which  he  made  such  stra,nge  gesticula- 
tions, and  on  the  side  next  the  queen,  that  she  be- 
came frightened  and  Avished  to  leave  the  table ;  but 
the  Czar  told  her  to  make  herself  easy,  assuring  her 
he  would  do  her  no  harm;  once  he  caught  her 
hand,  and  held  it  with  such  force  that  the  queen 
desired  him  to  be  more  respectful.  On  this  he  burst 
out  into  a  fit  of  laughter,  and  said  that  she  was  of  a 
much  more  delicate  frame  than  his  Catharine. ' ' 

This  lady  then  relates  how  the  Czar  begged  some 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  305 

statues  and  pieces  of  sculpture  from  the  king,  which 
he  dared  not  to  refuse,  and  a  cabinet  inlaid  with  am- 
ber, unique  in  its  kind,  which  cost  Frederick  I.  a 
large  sum  of  money.  It  was  packed  up  and  sent 
with  the  rest  to  St.  Petersburg,  to  the  great  regret 
of  the  whole  court.  The  strangers  departed  on  the 
third  day,  when  the  queen  betook  herself  immedi- 
ately to  Mon  Bijou  /  and  here,  it  is  observed,  she 
found  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem — ' '  Never, ' '  says 
the  writer,  ' '  did  I  see  the  like ;  all  was  so  com- 
pletely ruined  that  the  queen  was  obliged  to  renew 
everything  in  the  house. ' ' 

On  Peter's  return  to  Holland,  the  short  time  he 
remained  there  was  almost  wholly  occupied  in  ex- 
amining and  purchasing  whatever  appeared  to  him 
most  rare  or  valuable ;  and  among  other  things,  sev- 
eral of  the  most  valuable  specimens  of  pictures  of 
the  Dutch  and  Flemish  schools,  more  particularly 
of  Backhuysen  and  Yan  der  Yeldt,  with  a  consid- 
erable collection  of  those  by  Eubens,  Eembrandt, 
Teniers,  Ostade,  Jansteen,  and  Wouvermans.  He 
also  purchased  several  cabinets  of  great  value; 
among  others,  that  of  animals  and  insects  of  Al- 
bertus  Seba.  He  also  bought  the  highly  esteemed 
anatomical  cabinet  of  Professor  Ruysch  (which  he 
was  fifty  years  in  collecting),  for  30,000  florins.* 
At  that  time  it  was  considered  particularly  valuable 
and  curious,  as  containing  a  regular  succession  of  the 

*  The  florin  of  the  Netherlands  was  valued  at  about  forty 
cents. 
20 


306  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

young  foetus,  from  the  earliest  period  of  conception 
to  the  birth  of  the  infant,  and  for  the  exquisitely 
delicate  injections  of  the  brain  and  the  eye.  He 
also  made  a  collection  of  the  best  books  which 
treated  of  fortification,  engineering,  and  navigation, 
the  works  of  Erasmus,  and  a  great  variety  of  arti- 
cles, which  formed  a  part  of  the  collection  that  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  Imperial  Academ}^  of  Sciences : 
an  institution  of  which  he  drew  the  plan  himself. 


CHAPTEE  XII. 

The  Trial,  Condemnation,  and  Death  of  the  Czarovitz  Alexis. 

The  fate  of  the  unfortunate,  but  unworthy,  son  of 
Peter  was  fast  approaching  its  crisis.  A  tragical 
scene  was  to  be  acted,  which  required  on  the  part 
of  the  sovereign  all  the  sternness  and  severity  of 
Roman  virtue.  For  a  long  time  it  had  occasioned 
great  anxiety  and  grief  to  the  Czar,  to  find  his  son 
Alexis,  not  only  disinclined  to  second  his  views  for 
the  regeneration  and  improvement  of  his  country, 
but  ready  to  disobey  every  admonition ;  to  connect 
himself  with  a  party  whose  object  was  to  destroy  all 
that  his  father  had  created,  to  listen  to  the  coun- 
sels of  the  malcontents,  among  whom  were  several 
priests,  who  had  persuaded  him  that  it  was  his  duty 
to  hold  in  abhorrence  his  father's  innovations;  and, 
at  his  death,  which  was  represented  as  an  event  at 
no  great  distance,  to  abolish  the  whole  of  them, 
and  revert  to  the  ancient  and  wholesome  customs 
of  the  country.  This  weak  young  prince,  abetted 
by  his  mother  and  family,  readily  listened  to  all  the 
suggestions  of  his  base  advisers,  and,  thus  encour- 
aged, gave  himself  up  to  every  species  of  licentious- 
ness and  debauchery. 

The  death  of  his  neglected  and  insulted  wife,  who 
307 


308  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

fell,  as  has  been  seen,  a  victim  to  his  brutal  con- 
duct, was  a  sore  affliction  to  Peter's  mind,  and  de- 
termined him  at  once  to  come  to  a  clear  under- 
standing with  a  son  so  utterly  unworthy  to  succeed 
to  the  government  of  a  country  which,  by  his  talent 
and  laborious  exertions  and  perseverance,  through 
good  report  and  ill  report,  had  been  raised  to  its 
proper  standard  in  the  scale  of  civilized  nations.  It 
was  but  too  evident,  that,  unless  a  total  change 
could  be  effected  in  the  conduct  and  opinions  of 
this  unworthy  son,  Eussia  at  the  death  of  the  Czar 
would  very  soon  be  plunged  into  its  former  state 
of  barbarism.  Peter,  therefore,  while  yet  grieving 
for  the  death  of  the  princess,  addressed  a  letter  to 
Alexis,  in  which,  after  taking  a  view  of  his  faults 
and  his  follies,  and  bestowing  on  him  fatherly  ad- 
monition, he  concludes  by  telling  him,  that  he  will 
still  wait  to  see  if  he  be  disposed  to  amend;  but 
if  not,  that  he  may  rest  assured  he  will  cut  him  off 
from  the  succession,  as  a  useless  limb :  that  he 
must  not  imagine  this  menace  is  used  merely  to 
intimidate,  nor  must  he  place  any  reliance  on  the 
title  he  possesses  of  being  his  eldest  son ;  for  that, 
since  he  has  never  spared  his  own  life  for,  the  good 
of  his  country,  and  the  prosperity  of  his  people, 
he  sees  no  reason  why  he  should  spare  that  of  a 
son  who  is  careless  of  both.  "  I  would  rather," 
says  he,  ' '  commit  them  to  an  entire  stranger,  who 
may  be  worthy  of  such  a  trust,  than  to  my  own 
offspring  undeserving  it, ' ' 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  309 

In  reply  to  this  letter,  the  misguided  young  man 
briefly  told  his  father  that  he  was  ready  to  renounce 
the  crown;  that  he  called  God  to  witness,  and 
swore  upon  his  soul,  he  never  would  lay  claim  to 
the  succession ;  that  he  committed  his  children  into 
his  father's  hands;  and  that,  for  himself,  he  desired 
no  more  than  a  subsistence  during  life. 

His  father  once  more  addressed  him,  in  these 
words: -7^" I  observe  in  your  letter  that  you  speak 
only  of  the  succession,  as  if  I  stood  in  need  of  your 
consent ;  and  you  say  not  a  word  of  the  affliction 
which  I  told  you  your  conduct  had  given  me  for  so 
many  years ;  the  admonitions  of  a  father  appear  to 
make  no  impression  on  you.  I  have  prevailed  on 
myself  to  write  to  you  once  more,  and  for  the  last 
time.  Though  you  may  not  now  mean  to  violate 
your  promises,  yet  those  husky  heards  will  bind  you 
to  their  purpose,  and  compel  you  to  break  your 
word.  These  are  the  persons  who  place  their  hopes 
on  you ;  and  you  have  no  gratitude  to  him  who  gave 
you  life.  Since  the  time  of  your  coming  of  age, 
have  you  ever  assisted  him  in  his  labors?  have  you 
not  found  fault  with,  do  you  not  detest,  everything 
I  do  for  the  good  of  my  people?  have  I  not  every 
reason  to  believe  that,  should  you  survive  me,  you 
will  destroy  all  that  I  have  been  doing?  Amend 
your  life — make  yourself  worthy  of  the  succession, 
or  turn  monk.  I  desire  your  answer  personally  or 
in  writing,  or  I  must  deal  with  you  as  a  criminal."/ 

The  reply  of  the  prince  was  as  follows : — "  Your 


310  LI^E  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT, 

letter  of  the  19th  of  this  month  I  received  yesterday 
morning ;  my  illness  prevents  me  from  writing  at 
length.  I  intend  to  embrace  the  monastic  life,  and 
I  request  your  gracious  consent  to  that  effect. ' ' 

Thus  matters  stood  till  the  departure  of  the  Czar 
for  France  and  Germany  was  at  hand.  He  then 
paid  a  visit  to  his  son,  and  found  him  ill,  or  feigning 
to  be  so,  and  in  bed ;  but  he  confirmed  to  him,  by 
the  most  solemn  oaths,  that  he  would  retire  into  a 
convent.  Peter,  with  the  feeling  of  a  father,  hav- 
ing compassion  for  his  youth,  laid  before  him  all  the 
difficulties  of  that  kind  of  life,  and  advised  him  to 
do  nothing  lightly,  but  reflect  on  it  well,  and  take 
six  months  to  consider  of  it.  After  this  he  set  out 
with  his  consort.  That  very  night  was  spent  by 
Alexis  with  his  dissolute  associates  in  drunkenness 
and  debauchery. 

Seven  months  passed  away,  and  the  Czar  heard 
nothing  from  his  son.  He  wrote  to  him,  therefore, 
from  Copenhagen,  reproaching  him  for  his  silence ; 
desiring  him,  if  he  had  applied  himself  to  the  task 
of  making  himself  fit  for  the  succession,  not  to  de- 
lay beyond  a  week  to  join  him  at  Copenhagen, 
where  he  would  arrive  in  time  to  be  present  at  the 
operations  of  the  ensuing  campaign ;  but,  if  he  took 
the  other  part  he  desired  to  know  by  the  return  of 
the  courier,  at  what  time  he  was  prepared  to  carry 
his  plan  into  execution.  On  the  receipt  of  this 
letter,  which  called  for  his  immediate  determin- 
ation, he  consulted  his  evil-minded  advisers,   who 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  311 

told  him  how  dangerous  it  would  be  to  put  himself 
into  the  power  of  a  provoked  father  and  a  mother- 
in-law,  at  a  distance  from  all  his  friends.  He  pre- 
tended, however,  to  the  regency  that  he  should  set 
out  for  Copenhagen,  and  obtained  money  to  a  con- 
siderable amount  from  Menzikoff  for  the  expenses 
of  the  journey;  but  on  reaching  the  borders  of 
Livonia,  he  took  the  road  to  Vienna,  and  threw 
himself  on  the  protection  of  the  emperor,  intending, 
if  permitted,  to  continue  at  his  court  till  the  death 
of  his  father.  Charles,  hoAvever,  Avas  in  no  disposi- 
tion to  give  offense  to  the  Czar  of  Russia,  and  after 
some  time  the  Czarovitz  removed  himself  to  Naples, 
i  "When  the  Czar  heard  of  his  proceedings,  he  sent 
away  Captain  Romanzoff,  of  the  guards,  and  M. 
Tolstoi,  a  privy-counsellor,  with  a  letter  dated  from 
Spa,  the  10th  July,  1717,  of  which  the  following  is 
the  substance :  ' '  That  Tolstoi  and  Romanzoff  will 
make  known  to  him  his  will ;  that  on  his  obedience 
he  gave  him  his  assurance  and  promise  before  God 
that  he  would  not  inflict  punishment  on  him,  but, 
on  his  return,  would  love  him  better  than  ever. 
But, ' '  said  he,  ' '  if  you  do  not,  by  virtue  of  the 
power  I  have  received  from  God  as  your  father,  I 
pronounce  against  you  my  everlasting  curse ;  and, 
as  your  sovereign,  I  can  assure  you  I  shall  find 
ways  to  punish  you ;  which  I  hope,  as  my  cause  is 
just,  God  will  take  it  in  hand,  and  assist  me  in 
avenging  it. "  j 

It  required  much  persuasion  and  promises,  and 


312  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

even  menace,  before  the  envoys  could  prevail  on 
Alexis  to  return  with  them  to  his  father.  They 
dwelt  on  the  solemn  asseveration  in  the  letter,  that 
the  Czar  would  not  only  pardon,  but  would  love 
him  better  than  ever.  On  this  assurance  the  Czaro- 
vitz,  with  his  mistress,  set  out  with  the  two  envoys. 
They  arrived  at  Moscow  on  the  13th  February,  1718, 
and  on  that  very  day  the  prince  had  a  private  inter- 
view with  his  father. 

A  general  belief  now  prevailed  that  a  reconcilia- 
tion had  taken  place,  and  that  everything  was  to 
be  forgotten ;  but  the  very  next  day  the  regiments 
of  guards  were  ordered  under  arms,  and  the  great 
bell  of  Moscow  was  tolled.  The  senate,  the  boyars, 
the  privy-counsellors  were  summoned  to  the  castle ; 
the  bishops,  the  archimandrites,  the  superior  clergy, 
the  professors  of  divinity,  assembled  in  the  cathe- 
dral. Alexis  was  brought  into  the  castle  as  a  pris- 
oner; he  fell  on  his  knees  before  his  father,  and 
delivered  to  him  a  paper,  in  which  he  acknowledged 
his  crimes,  declared  himself  unworthy  of  the  succes- 
sion, and  entreated  that  his  life  might  be  spared. 
The  Czar,  raising  him  up,  took  him  into  a  closet, 
but  what  passed  therein  is  conjecture  only.  When 
brought  back  into  the  council-chamber,  a  declara- 
tion of  the  Czar  was  publicly  read.  It  commenced 
by  reproaching  his  son  with  indolence  and  remiss- 
ness in  improving  himself,  in  associating  with  disso- 
lute companions,  his  hatred  of  all  improvements,  his 
violation  of  conjugal  faith  by  taking  up  Avith  a  low- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  313 

born  woman,  by  placing  himself  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  slandering  his 
father,  and  asking  the  emperor  to  defend  him  by 
force  of  arms,  telling  him  (what  turned  out  to  be 
too  true)  that  his  life  was  not  safe  if  he  returned  to 
Russia.     The  declaration  then  proceeds : — 

' '  Such  was  the  manner  in  which  our  son  has  re- 
turned ;  and  though  his  flight  and  his  calumnies  de- 
serve death,  those  crimes  our  fatherly  aifection  has 
forgiven.  But  his  notorious  unworthiness  and  im- 
morality will  not  allow  us,  in  conscience,  to  leave 
to  him  the  succession  to  the  empire ;  it  being  too 
manifest  that  by  his  ill  conduct  the  glory  of  the 
nation  would  be  overturned,  and  a  loss  occasioned 
of  all  the  provinces  recovered  by  our  arms.  To 
place  our  subjects  under  such  a  successor,  would  be 
to  plunge  them  into  a  condition  much  worse  than 
they  have  at  any  time  experienced.  Accordingly, 
by  our  paternal  power,  in  virtue  of  which,  agreeably 
with  the  laws  of  our  empire,  every  subject  even  can 
at  pleasure  disinherit  a  son, — and  in  pursuance  of 
our  prerogative  as  sovereign  prince,  and  in  consid- 
eration of  the  welfare  of  our  dominions, — we  de- 
prive our  said  son  Alexis  of  the  succession  after  us 
to  the  throne  of  Russia,  on  account  of  his  crimes 
and  his  unworthiness,  even  though  there  should  not 
exist  a  single  person  of  our  family  at  the  time  of  our 
decease. 

''  And  we  constitute  and  declare,  in  default  of  a 
successor  of  a  more  advanced  age,  our  second  son 


314  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Peter,  young  though  he  be,  as  successor  to  the  said 
throne  after  us. 

' '  May  our  paternal  malediction  fall  on  our  above- 
mentioned  son  Alexis,  if  ever  at  any  time  he  shall 
set  up  such  pretensions  to  the  said  succession,  or 
take  measures  for  procuring  it. 

^'  We  also  require  our  faithful  subjects,  ecclesias- 
tics and  seculars,  as  well  as  every  other  state,  and 
the  whole  Russian  nation,  that,  in  pursuance  of  this 
ordinance  and  our  will,  they  acknowledge  and  con- 
sider our  said  son  Peter,  nominated  by  us  to  the 
succession,  as  the  lawful  successor,  and  that,  con- 
formably with  this  present  ordinance,  they  confirm 
every  part  of  it  by  oath  before  the  holy  altar,  on 
the  holy  gospels,  kissing  the  cross. 

"  And  all  those  who  shall  at  any  time  whatso- 
ever oppose  this  our  will,  and  who,  from  and  after 
the  date  hereof,  shall  dare  to  consider  our  son  Alexis 
as  successor,  or  assist  him  to  that  end,  we  declare 
them  traitors  to  us  and  their  country ;  and  we  have 
ordered  this  present  ordinance  to  be  published,  that 
no  person  may  plead  ignorance.  Given,  &c.  14th 
February,  1718.  Signed  with  our  hand,  and  sealed 
with  our  seal. ' ' 

After  which  was  read  the  ' '  Act  of  Renunciation, ' ' 
on  the  part  of  the  Czarovitz,  which  he  had  placed 
in  the  hands  of  his  majesty : — 

' '  I,  the  undersigned,  declare  before  the  holy 
Evangelists,  that  I  acknowledge  and  avow  this  ex- 
clusion to   be   just,  as  having   deserved  it  by  my 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  315 

crimes  and  un worthiness :  and  I  bind  myself  and 
swear,  in  the  name  of  the  sacred  and  almighty 
Trinity,  to  submit  myself  wholly  to  this  my  father's 
will ;  never  to  seek  after  this  succession,  never  to 
lay  claim  to  it,  never  to  accept  it,  under  any  pre- 
tense whatever ;  and  I  acknowledge  as  lawful  suc- 
cessor my  brother,  the  Czarovitz  Peter  Pietrovitz, 
on  which  I  kiss  the  holy  cross,  and  sign  these  pres- 
ents  with  my  own  hand. — Alexis." 

The  same  instruments  were  then  taken  by  the 
Czar  to  the  cathedral,  where  they  went  through  a 
second  reading,  and  all  the  ecclesiastics  testified 
their  approbation,  and  signed  their  names. 
' '  Never, ' '  says  Yoltaire,  ' '  was  prince  disinherited 
in  so  authentic  a  manner.  There  are  many  states 
in  which  such  an  act  would  be  of  no  validity ;  but 
in  Russia,  as  among  the  ancient  Romans,  every 
father  could  disinherit  his  son;  and  this  is  much 
stronger  in  a  sovereign  than  in  a  subject,  and  es- 
pecially in  such  a  sovereign  as  Peter. ' '  This  sover- 
eign, however,  has  been  much  censured  for  break- 
ing faith  with  his  son,  after  the  solemn  promise, 
amounting  to  an  oath,  that  if  he  returned  from 
Naples,  he  would  not  only  forgive  him,  but  love 
him  more  than  ever.  The  same  writer  finds  an 
apology,  by  saying,  that  '^  perhaps  the  father,  in 
the  conflict  between  paternal  affection  and  reasons 
of  state,  meant  only  to  confer  that  love  on  his  son 
as  a  recluse ;  that  perhaps  he  might  still  hope  to  re- 
claim him ;  and  by  bringing  him  to  a  due  sense  of 


316  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

the  loss  of  the  crown,  render  him  worthy  of  the 
succession/' 

The  apology  appears  but  a  weak  one ;  still  it  must 
be  admitted  the  Czar  was  placed  in  a  critical  and 
most  painful  situation.  He  knew  that  this  son  was 
by  nature  of  a  very  weak  order  of  intellect,  and  that 
he  had  long  been  beset  by  a  mischievous  party,  who 
instilled  into  his  mind  a  hatred  of  his  father  and  of 
every  step  he  took  for  the  improvement  of  his  coun- 
try ;  who  had  advised  his  elopement,  and  who  would, 
undoubtedly,  set  aside  a  renunciation  which  had 
been  thrust  upon  him ;  and  use  every  endeavor  to 
restore  to  him  the  crown  which,  he  would  be  told, 
had  been  illegally  transferred  to  a  younger  and  a 
half-brother.  He  knew,  and  all  sensible  men  Avho 
had  any  regard  for  themselves  and  their  country 
knew,  that  in  such  a  case,  the  certain  consequence 
would  be  a  civil  war,  and  the  end  of  it  a  total  loss 
of  all  his  glorious  conquests,  and  the  ruin  of  all  his 
useful  establishments,  in  laying  the  foundations  of 
which  he  had  spent  the  whole  of  a  laborious  life. 
The  question,  as  Yoltaire  says,  lay  between  the 
welfare  of  eighteen  millions  of  men  and  one  single 
person,  and  that  person  wholly  incapable  of  gov- 
erning. These  were  the  considerations,  probably, 
which  determined  the  Czar  to  knoAV  the  names  of 
the  disaffected,  to  what  extent  their  numbers 
amounted,  and  who  had  been  his  principal  ill-ad- 
visers ;  and  this  was  considered  to  be  of  such  impor- 
tance, that  the  Czar  threatened  his  son  with  capital 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  317 

punishment  should  he  conceal  anything  from  him. 
Alexis  promised  to  declare  the  whole  and  pure  truth, 
as  before  God,  and  without  disguise ;  and  swore,  on 
the  holy  Evangelists,  before  the  altar,  to  discover 
everything. 

The  next  day  the  Czar  sent  him  a  number  of 
questions,  which  he  was  to  answer  in  writing.  One 
of  them  related  to  a  letter  from  M.  Beyer,  the  em- 
peror's resident  at  St.  Petersburg,  written  after  the 
prince's  elopement,  the  substance  of  which  was, 
that  the  Russian  army  in  Mecklenburg  had  mutinied ; 
that  several  of  the  officers  talked  of  sending  the  new 
Czarina  (Catharine)  and  her  son  to  the  prison  where 
the  repudiated  Czarina  was  confined,  and  of  placing 
Alexis  on  the  throne.  To  this  gossiping  letter  of 
one  of  those  gentlemen  who,  residing  at  foreign 
courts,  think  it  a  part  of  their  duty  to  send  to  their 
employers  the  news  of  the  day,  whether  true  or 
false,  the  young  prince  might  have  pleaded  igno- 
rance :  what  had  he  to  do  with  Beyer's  letter  ?  He 
Avas  asked,  however,  the  following  question  : — 

''When  you  saw,  by  Beyer's  letter,  that  there 
w^as  a  revolt  in  the  Mecklenburg  army,  you  was 
glad  of  it ;  I  apprehend  you  had  some  view,  and 
that  you  would  have  declared  for  the  rebels,  even  in 
my  lifetime  ?  " 

Such  a  question  among  a  civilized  people,  and  in 
England  in  particular,  would  not  have  been  suffered 
to  be  put ;  or,  if  put,  the  judge  would  have  cautioned 
the  prisoner  not  to  answer.     But  Russia  was  yet 


318  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

barbarous  as  well  as  despotic ;  and  a  person  there 
might  be  condemned  to  death  for  a  secret  sentiment 
on  a  prospective  event  which  never  happened. 
Alexis,  however,  ansAvered  the  question  in  writing : 
''  Had  the  rebels  invited  me  in  your  lifetime,  I 
should  probably  have  joined  them,  had  they  been 
strong  enough. '  * 

Another  charge  was  of  a  much  more  serious  na- 
ture. Rough  drafts  of  two  letters,  written  from 
Yienna,  were  found  in  his  own  hand, — one  to  the 
senators,  and  the  other  to  the  archbishops  of  Eussia ; 
in  the  latter  of  which  he  says,  ''  The  continual  in- 
juries which  I  have  undeservedly  suffered  have 
obliged  me  to  quit  my  country :  I  had  a  narrow  es- 
cape from  being  shut  up  in  a  convent :  they  who 
have  confined  my  mother  were  about  to  use  me  in 
the  same  manner.  I  am  under  the  protection  of  a 
great  prince.  It  is  my  desire  you  will  not  forsake 
me  at  present. ' ' 

The  words  at  present  had  been  drawn  through 
with  a  pen,  and  afterward  replaced  with  his  own 
hand, — and  again  a  second  time  effaced.  The  let- 
ters themselves  were  stopped  by  the  court  of 
Yienna. 

A  person  of  the  name  of  Afanassief  deposed  that 
he  had  heard  Alexis  say,  ' '  I  will  say  something  to 
the  bishops,  and  they  will  tell  it  among  the  priests, 
and  the  priests  to  their  parishioners,  and  I  shall  be 
placed  on  the  throne,  even  though  it  were  against 
my  will. ' '     His  mistress  Aphrosine  deposed  against 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  319 

him,  as  complaining  of  his  father,  and  wishing  for 
his  death.  The  prince  was  also  accused  of  consult- 
ing his  mother,  the  late  Czarina,  and  his  sister,  the 
Princess  Mary,  with  regard  to  his  elopement ;  and 
the  Bishop  of  Kostof  deposed  that,  being  in  their 
confidence,  he  knew  that  these  two  princesses  en- 
tertained hopes  of  a  change  that  would  release  them 
from  confinement ;  and  that  they  instigated  Alexis 
to  fly  into  Germany,  instead  of  going  to  his  father 
at  Copenhagen.  A  priest  of  the  name  of  Jaques, 
being  put  to  the  torture,  owned  that  the  prince,  in 
confession,  had  accused  himself  before  God  that  he 
had  wished  his  father's  death;  and  that  he,  the 
confessor,  made  answer,  ' '  God  will  forgive  you ;  it 
is  no  more  than  what  we  all  wish." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  go  through  all  the  proceed- 
ings of  this  lamentable  story.  The  most  extraor- 
dinary part  of  it  is  the  eagerness  with  which  Alexis 
strove,  as  it  were,  to  make  himself  appear  guilty, 
and  even  the  falsehoods  which  he  uttered,  to  give 
a  stronger  color  to  his  guilt :  for  instance,  in  an- 
swer to  his  father's  sixth  question,  he  owns  he  did 
not  see  the  emperor;  that  he  applied  to  Count 
Schonborn,  who  said  to  him,  ^^  The  emperor  will 
not  forsake  you ;  and  at  a  proper  season,  after  your 
father's  demise,  he  Avill  assist  you  with  an  armed 
force  to  ascend  the  throne." — "My  answer  was," 
added  the  accused  prince,  that  is  not  what  I  ask : 
all  I  desire  is,  that  the  emperor  will  be  pleased  to 
grant  me  his  protection."     This  was  in  the  month 


320  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

of  February,  at  Moscow.  But  after  the  execution  of 
the  accomplices  named  by  the  prince,  and  a  lapse  of 
four  months,  and  when  the  proceedings  were  re- 
newed against  this  unfortunate  young  man  at  St. 
Petersburg,  being  again  interrogated  on  this  point, 
he  says,  in  writing,  ' '  Being  resolved  to  imitate  my 
father  in  nothing,  I  endeavored  to  arrive  at  the  suc- 
cession at  any  rate,  even  by  foreign  assistance ;  and 
if  I  had  succeeded  in  my  object,  and  the  emperor 
had  done  what  he  promised  m<?, — that  he  would  ob- 
tain for  me  the  crown  of  Hussia,  even  by  open  force, 
— I  would  have  spared  nothing  to  secure  myself  in 
the  succession.  I  would,  at  my  own  cost,  have 
maintained  the  auxiliary  troops  with  which  he  would 
have  supplied  me,  to  put  me  in  possession  of  the 
crown  of  Russia ;  and,  in  short,  I  would  have  stuck 
at  nothing  to  carry  my  point. ' ' 

This  gratuitous  falsehood  looks  very  much  as  if  it 
had  been  extorted  from  him ;  unless,  indeed,  it  was 
intended  as  a  defiance  to  the  proceedings  which  his 
father  was  instituting  against  him.  •  The  Czar  prom- 
ised him  pardon  on  making  a  general  confession ; 
but  he  did  not  desire  him  to  state  what  was  not 
true.  He  was  asked,  as  a  condition  of  that  pardon, 
to  declare  the  accomplices  of  his  elopement;  he 
concealed  several  of  them ;  the  answers  he  gave  to 
several  of  his  father's  interrogatories  in  February 
Avere  at  variance  with  those  he  delivered  in  July. 
When,  therefore,  Peter  came  to  the  final  resolution 
of  trying  him  by  the  great  officers  of  state,  the 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  321 

judges,  and  the  bishops,  he  yielded  to  a  distressing 
case  of  state  necessity,  which  he  considered  as  re- 
quiring the  exercise  of  rigid  justice,  on  the  broad 
principle,  that  it  is  better  a  delinquent  should  be 
punished  than  a  whole  empire  be  endangered ;  and 
that  reasons  of  state  must  be  held  as  paramount  even 
to  the  ties  of  nature  and  of  blood,  which,  in  the  pres- 
ent case,  had  long  been  severed  hy  the  unnatural 
conduct  of  the  son  against  the  father.  In  truth, 
his  conduct  had  been  such  from  his  boyhood  as  to 
efface  every  feeling  of  natural  affection  from  his 
father's  heart.  In  judging  of  this  case,  we  should 
bear  in  mind  what  were  the  circumstances,  the  con- 
dition, the  manners,  and  the  laws  of  Russia.  Even 
now,  in  that  despotic  government,  the  summary  re- 
moval from  life  of  the  sovereign,  or  members  of  the 
imperial  family,  is  tacitly  claimed  as  a  sort  of  right.* 
Here,  however,  a  solemn  assembly  was  openly  held, 
the  charges  were  promulgated,  the  sentence  of  the 
judges,  and  every  document  connected  with  the 
proceedings,  published  to  the  whole  world,  that  both 
Russia  and  the  surrounding  nations  might  have  the 
means  of  forming  a  judgment  between  the  father 
an(i  the  son. 

It  has  been  said  that  Peter  instituted  these  pro- 
ceedings from  a  wish  to  secure  the  throne  for  his 
younger  son,  to  the  exclusion  of  Alexis ;  but  there 
is  proof  on  record  that,  many  years  before  the 
birth  of  this  boy,  he  had  determined  to  disinherit 

*  Quarterly  Review,  vol.  xxxv, 
21 


322  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Alexis,  and  gave  him  notice  he  should  do  so,  if 
he  did  not  amend.  As  far  back  indeed  as  1711, 
he  had  in  his  own  mind  set  him  aside.  In  that 
disastrous  affair  on  the  Pruth,  in  acquainting  the 
senate  with  the  perilous  situation  into  which  he  had 
been  led  by  false  information,  all  his  resources  cut 
off,  his  army  surrounded  by  an  enemy  four  times 
more  numerous  than  his  own,  he  concludes  his 
letter  by  saying,  ' '  If  I  am  doomed  to  perish  here, 
and  you  should  receive  an  authenticated  account  of 
my  death,  you  will  then  proceed  to  choose,  as  my 
successor,  the  most  worthy  among  you. ' ' 

The  law  of  Russia,  which  conferred  the  fatal  right 
on  the  Czar  to  punish  his  son  with  death,  merely 
for  his  elopement,  independent  of  any  other  crime, 
left  this,  or  any  other  punishment,  in  the  sovereign's 
hands ;  but  he  thought  it  more  proper  to  submit  the 
case  for  the  decision  of  the  judges  of  the  land,  the 
nobles,  and  the  ecclesiastics,  before  whom  he  thus 
declared  his  sentiments : — 

"^  Though  by  all  divine  and  human  laws,  and  es- 
pecially by  those  of  Eussia,  which  exclude  all  inter- 
position of  the  civil  power  between  father  and  son, 
even  among  private  persons,  we  have  a  sufficient 
and  absolute  power  of  sentencing  our  son  according 
to  his  crimes  and  our  will,  without  consulting  any- 
one; yet  men  not  being  so  clearsighted  in  their 
own  affairs  as  in  those  of  others,  and  as  the  most 
skilful  physicians,  instead  of  prescribing  for  them- 
selves, have  recourse  to  others  when  sick ;  so,  fear- 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  323 

ing  lest  I  should  bring  some  sin  on  my  conscience, 
I  state  my  case  to  you,  and  require  a  remedy.  For 
if,  ignorant  of  the  name  of  my  distemper,  I  should 
go  about  to  cure  it  by  my  own  ability,  the  conse- 
quence may  be  eternal  death,  seeing  that  I  have 
sworn  on  the  judgments  of  God,  and  have,  in  writ- 
ing, promised  my  son  his  pardon,  provided  he  tells 
me  the  truth,  and  afterward  confirms  that  promise 
with  his  mouth. 

' '  Though  my  son  has  broken  his  promise,  yet 
that  I  may  not,  in  anything,  depart  from  my  ob- 
ligations, I  desire  you  will  think  on  this  affair,  and 
examine  it  with  the  greatest  attention,  to  see  what 
he  has  deserved.  Do  not  flatter  me;  be  neither  in 
the  least  afraid  that,  should  he  deserve  only  a  slight 
punishment,  and  you  deliver  your  opinion  accord- 
ingly, it  will  offend  me ;  for  I  swear  to  you,  by  the 
great  God,  and  by  his  judgments,  that  you  have 
absolutely  nothing  at  all  to  apprehend. 

"  Let  it  give  you  no  uneasiness  that  you  have  to 
try  your  sovereign's  son;  but,  without  any  respect 
of  persons,  do  justice,  and  destroy  not  both  your 
souls  and  mine.  Lastly,  let  not  our  conscience  have 
anj^thing  to  reproach  us  with  on  the  terrible  day 
of  judgment,  and  let  not  our  country  be  hurt.'^ 

The  clergy  were  the  first  to  deliver  their  opinion, 
which  they  did  by  stating  that  the  affair  does  not  in 
any  way  belong  to  the  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction ; 
that  the  absolute  prerogative  is  vested  in  the  sov- 
ereign, and  does  not  depend  on  the  judgment  of  the 


324  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

subjects.  They  quote  cases  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, in  which  it  is  said  that ' '  Whoever  curseth  his 
father  or  mother  shall  be  punished  with  death;" 
and  having  cited  various  other  passages,  they  thus 
conclude: — '*  If  his  majesty  is  inclined  to  punish 
the  delinquent  according  to  his  actions  and  the 
measure  of  his  guilt,  he  has  before  him  examples 
from  the  Old  Testament :  if  he  be  inclined  to  spare, 
he  has  the  pattern  of  Christ  himself,  kindly  receiv- 
ing the  penitent  prodigal,  dismissing  the  woman 
taken  in  adultery,  who,  by  the  law,  was  to  be 
stoned ;  and  delighting  in  mercy  more  than  sacrifice. 
He  has  the  example  of  David,  who  is  solicitous  for 
the  safety  of  Absalom  his  son,  though  an  open 
rebel,  recommending  him  to  the  commanders  of  his 
army,  who  insisted  on  giving  him  battle;  " jSpare 
my  son  Absalom  " — the  father  was  for  showing  him 
mercy,  but  Divine  justice  did  not  spare  him.  The 
Czar's  heart  is  in  the  hands  of  God;  let  him  choose 
that  to  which  God  shall  incline  him." 

This  opinion,  which  does  great  credit  to  the  clergy 
of  Kussia,  was  signed  by  the  metropolitan  of  Eezan, 
eight  bishops,  four  archimandrites  and  two  profes- 
sors, and  delivered  to  the  Czar :  it  manifestly  was 
inclined  to  clemency.  But  more  interrogation  is, 
and  more  confessions  followed  this ;  and,  on  the  5th 
July,  the  ministers,  the  senators,  and  generals,  to 
the  number  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-four,  un- 
animously condemned  Alexis  to  death,  but  without 
specifying  the  manner  of  his  execution;   ''submit^ 


Life  of  peter  the  great.  325 

ting  this  sentence  which  we  deliver,  and  this  con- 
demnation which  we  declare,  to  the  supreme  honor, 
the  will,  and  the  merciful  revision  of  his  majesty, 
oux  most  merciful  sovereign. ' ' 

There  can  be  but  one  opinion  as  to  the  harshness 
and  barbarity  of  the  whole  proceeding ;  and  better 
far  would  it  have  been  for  the  father,  in  virtue  of 
his  prerogative,  to  have  put  to  death  his  disobedi- 
ent son,  than  to  have  worried  him  night  and  day 
for  nearly  five  months,  extorting  from  him  con- 
fessions— not,  however,  as  has  been  said,  by  a^ctual 
torture,  at  least  this  does  not  appear — but  only  sur- 
mised on  the  ground  that  nothing  short  of  corporeal 
agony  could  have  created  in  the  young  man  a  mani- 
fest desire  to  criminate  himself,  even  as  to  his  secret 
thoughts,  and  to  represent  himself  as  a  person  of  a 
malignant  mind  and  evil  disposition.  The  Czar, 
however,  thought  he  was  acting  right,  in  referring 
to  the  judgment  of  the  representatives  of  the  nation 
in  a  case  in  which  the  fate  of  that  nation  was  so  deeply 
concerned ;  and  not  doubting  the  equity  of  his  pro- 
ceedings, he  caused  the  whole  trial  to  be  printed 
and  translated,  and  thus  submitted  himself  to  the 
judgment  of  the  world.* 

A  foreign  writer,  of  the  name  of  Lamberti,  has 
accused  Catharine  of  inducing  the  Czar  to  bring 
Alexis  to  trial,  and  cause  him  to  be  sentenced  to 
death ;  asserts  that  the  Czar  Tcnouted  his  son,  and  then 

*  Nestesuranoi.  Mottley's  book  contains  the  whole  of  the 
yoluminous  documents  that  were  made  public. 


326  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

with  his  own  hands  cut  off  his  head ;  but  that,  when 
publicly  exposed,  it  was  so  cleverly  fitted  to  the 
body,  that  it  did  not  appear  to  have  ever  been 
severed ;  that  Peter  contracted  a  sourness  after  this, 
and  entertained  a  thought  of  having  the  Czarina 
shaved  and  shut  up  in  a  convent ;  that  she  and  Men- 
zikoff  poisoned  the  Czar ;  with  much  more  of  such 
absurd  trash,  which  the  writer  procured  from  a  man 
who  was  not  in  Kussia  at  the  time,  and  who,  Yoltaire 
says,  owned  to  him  ' '  that  all  he  had  talked  about 
with  Lamberti  was  only  the  report  of  those  times : ' ' 
and  this  is  history !  As  to  the  sourness  of  Peter, 
and  the  shaving  and  shutting  up  of  Catharine,  it  may 
be  charitably  supposed  that  Lamberti  had  never 
heard  of  her  accompanying  him,  long  after  this,  to 
Persia,  nor  of  her  coronation,  nor  of  the  reasons  as- 
signed by  Peter  for  conferring  that  honor  on  his 
faithful  spouse.  Yoltaire  very  properly  exposes  the 
absurdity  of  the  whole  story  ;  and  further  says,  with 
regard  to  Catharine,  on  the  authority  of  a  public 
minister,  that  the  Czar  told  the  Duke  of  Ilolstein 
that  Catharine  had  entreated  him  to  hinder  the  sen- 
tence being  pronounced  against  the  Czarovitz ;  and 
that  he  should  be  satisfied  by  compelling  him  to  be- 
come a  monk,  as  the  disgrace  of  a  sentence  of  death 
would  reflect  on  his  grandson.*  The  Czar,  how- 
ever, could  not  be  prevailed  on  to  yield  to  the  en- 
treaties of  his  consort,  but  thought  it  proper  that 
the  sentence  should  at  least  be  publicly  pronounced ; 

*  Voltaire's  Hist,  de  Russie. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  S27 

that  by  this  solemn  act  being  publicly  made  known, 
and  rendering  Alexis  civilly  dead,  he  would  be  for 
ever  disqualified  from  afterward  pretending  even  to 
the  crown.  By  this  it  would  seem  the  Czar  had  no 
intention  whatever  of  carrying  the  sentence  into 
execution.  In  his  letter  to  the  several  courts  of 
Europe,  assigning  his  reasons  for  the  public  trial  of 
his  son,  he  says,  after  stating  the  nature  of  the  sen- 
tence, "  and  while  Ave  were  debating  in  our  mind 
between  the  natural  motions  of  paternal  clemency 
on  one  side,  and  the  regard  we  ought  to  pay  to  the 
preservation  and  the  future  security  of  our  kingdom 
on  the  other,  and  pondering  on  what  resolution  to 
take,  in  an  affair  of  so  great  difficulty  and  impor- 
tance, it  pleased  the  Almighty  God,  by  his  especial 
will  and  his  just  judgment,  and  by  his  mercy,  to 
deliver  us  out  of  that  embarrassment,  and  to  save 
our  family  and  kingdom  from  the  shame  and  the 
dangers,  by  abridging  yesterday  the  life  of  our  said 
son  Alexis,  after  an  illness  with  which  he  was  seized, 
as  soon  as  he  had  heard  the  sentence  of  death  pro- 
nounced against  him.  That  illness  appeared  at  first 
like  an  apoplexy ;  but  he  afterward  recovered  his 
senses,  and  received  the  holy  sacraments  as  a  Chris- 
tian ;  and  having  desired  to  see  us,  we  went  to  him 
immediately,  with  all  our  counsellors  and  senators ; 
and  then  he  acknowledged  and  sincerely  confessed 
all  his  said  faults  and  crimes  committed  against  us, 
with  tears,  and  all  the  marks  of  a  true  penitent,  and 
begged  our  pardon,  which,  according  to  Christian 


3^8  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

and  paternal  duty,  we  granted  him:  after  which, 
on  the  Tth  July,  at  six  in  the  evening,  he  surren- 
dered his  soul  to  God."  * 

This  account,  according  to  most  of  the  historians, 
is  strictly  true,  and  certainly  argues  no  intention  on 
the  part  of  the  Czar  to  carry  the  sentence  into  exe- 
cution ;  and  yet  various  reports  were  spread  over 
Europe,  giving  a  very  different  interpretation  to  the 
manner  of  the  prince's  death,  most  of  which  may  be 
traced  to  the  different  foreign  residents  at  the  court 
of  St.  Petersburg  at  the  time.  One  wrote  home  a 
report  that  the  Czar  had  poisoned  him;  another  that 
he  had  whipped  or  knouted  him  to  death ;  and  a 
third  that  he  had  cut  off  his  head  with  his  own 
hands.  At  what  particular  time  he  could  have  done 
all  or  any  of  these  it  would  be  difficult  to  discover. 
The  Czarovitz  was  taken  out  of  the  court  in  the 
evening  of  the  6th  July ;  on  the  morning  of  the  Tth, 
messengers  came  to  the  Czar  to  report  the  illness  of 
his  son,  with  his  request  to  see  him.  He  went  ac- 
cordingly, attended  by  all  the  great  officers  of  his 
court,  among  whom  were  foreigners,  both  Scotch 
and  Germans;  he  took  an  affectionate  leave;  but 
the  illness  of  the  prince  increasing,  he  was  sent 
for  again  in  the  evening,  and  was  on  the  point  of 
going  when  he  was  stopped  by  intelligence  of  his 
son's  death.  Here,  therefore,  there  could  be  no 
knouting  nor  cutting  the  head  off,  unless  it  was 
done  in  the  presence  of  the  senators,  the  bishops,  the 

*Mottley. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  329 

generals,  and  courtiers,  all  of  whom  accompanied 
the  Czar;  and  yet,  one  of  our  most  intelligent 
travelers,  a  master  of  arts,  a  fellow  of  the  Royal 
and  Antiquarian  Societies,  and  a  dignitary  of  the 
church,  states  his  belief  that  Alexis  ' '  was  secretly 
executed  in  prison."  * 

Mr.  Coxe  places  his  faith  on  Busching,  the  com- 
piler of  an  historical  magazine, — a  receptacle  for  all 
that  was  sent  to  it,  in  which  it  is  positively  afl&rmed 
that  he  was  beheaded  by  order  of  his  father,  and 
that  Marshal  Weyde  performed  the  office  of  execu- 
tioner. This,  at  any  rate,  exonerates  the  Czar  from 
having  done  it  himself.  And  on  what  ground  is 
this  bold  assertion  made? — on  a  conversation  of  a 
second  person  with  a  certain  Madame  Cramer,  a 
lady  at  St.  Petersburg,  who  was  in  high  confidence 
both  with  Peter  and  Catharine ;  and  who,  it  is  bold- 
ly asserted,  was  employed  in  sewing  the  prince's 
head  to  the  body  before  it  lay  in  state.  Why  the 
head  of  a  poor  man,  sick  in  his  bed,  should  be  pri- 
vately taken  off,  for  no  other  purpose  than  sewing 
it  on  again,  is  quite  inconceivable.  Still  Mr.  Coxe 
is  disposed  to  believe  that  such  was  the  case :  he 
met  with  an  intimate  acquaintance  of  the  above- 
mentioned  lady,  who  assured  him  that  he  always 
found  her  extremely  averse  to  hold  any  discourse 
on  the  death  of  Alexis;  that  she  seemed  exceed- 
ingly shocked  (and  well  she  might)  whenever  the 

*  Travels  in  Poland,  Russia,  &c.,  by  W.  Coxe,  A.M.,  F.R.S. 
F.A.S.   Rector  of  Bemerton, 


330  LIP^E  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

topic  was  introduced,  and  nothing  fuviker  could  he 
extorted  from  her  than  that  she  was  the  jperson  who 
prepared  the  hody  for  the  ceremony  of  lying  in  state. 
Would  the  intimate  acquaintance  have  ''  extorted  " 
from  Madame  Cramer  a  direct  falsehood?  Was 
she  to  confess  to  an  operation  which  she  never  per- 
formed, and  which  was  much  fitter  for  a  surgeon 
than  a  delicate  lady?  Yet,  strange  to  say,  this 
very  unAvillingness  of  Madame  Cramer  to  enter  upon 
the  subject,  and  her  declaration  that  she  only  pre- 
pared the  body  for  the  funeral,  adds,  in  Mr.  Coxe's 
mind,  a  great  degree  of  confirmation. 

But  Mr.  Coxe  has  ' '  an  additional  proof  in  favor 
of  this  fact, ' '  and  from  an  English  gentleman  of 
undoubted  veracity,  a  Mr.  Eiest,  who  had  it  from 
Prince  Cantimir's  secretary,  who  was  eighty  years 
of  age,  and  the  said  prince  was  in  high  favor  with 
Peter,  as  he  undoubtedly  must  have  been  to  get 
from  him  such  a  secret.  Mr.  Coxe  adds,  that  this 
fact  (of  beheading)  appears  so  well  attested,  that 
many  German  historians  have  adopted  it  without 
reserve  (and  many  of  them  are  ready  to  adopt 
stranger  things  than  this),  and  that  in  several  of  the 
genealogical  tables  of  the  imperial  family,  Alexis  is 
inserted  as  beheaded.  "*  It  is  surprising  that  a  man 
of  Mr.  Coxe's  sagacity  should  suffer  himself  to  be 
so  far  led  astray  as  to  ground  his  belief  on  such 
inconclusive  evidence.  He  admits,  indeed,  that 
a  passage  in  Bruce' s  Memoirs  seems  to  invalidate 

*  Coxe. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  S31 

what  he  calls  ' '  this  concurrent  evidence, ' '  and  to 
prove  that  he  was  poisoned.  Brace's  story  is  singu- 
larly curious,  but  it  affords  no  such  proof.  It  is  as 
folio  Avs : — 

''  On  the  next  day  (after  the  trial),  his  majesty, 
attended  by  all  the  senators  and  bishops,  with  several 
others  of  high  rank,  went  to  the  fort,  and  entered 
the  apartments  where  the  Czarovitz  was  kept  pris- 
oner. Some  little  time  thereafter  Marshal  Weyde 
came  out,  and  ordered  me  to  go  to  Mr.  Bear's  the 
druggist,  whose  shop  was  hard-by,  and  tell  him  to 
make  the  potion  strong  which  he  had  bespoke,  as  the 
prince  was  then  very  ill.  When  I  delivered  this 
message  to  Mr.  Bear,  he  turned  quite  pale,  and  fell 
a  shaking  and  trembling,  and  appeared  in  the  utmost 
confusion,  which  surprised  me  so  much,  that  I  asked 
him  what  was  the  matter  with  him,  but  he  was  un- 
able to  return  me  any  answer.  In  the  meantime, 
the  marshal  himself  came  in,  much  in  the  same  con- 
dition with  the  druggist,  saying  he  ought  to  have 
been  more  expeditious,  as  the  prince  was  very  ill  of 
an  apoplectic  fit :  upon  this  the  druggist  delivered 
him  a  silver  cup  with  a  cover,  which  the  marshal 
himself  carried  into  the  prince's  apartments,  stag- 
gering all  the  way  as  he  went  like  one  drunk. 
About  half  an  hour  after,  the  Czar  with  all  his  at- 
tendants withdrew  with  very  dismal  countenances, 
and  when  they  went,  the  marshal  ordered  me  to  at- 
tend at  the  prince's  apartment,  and  in  case  of  any 
alteration,  to  inform  him  immediately  thereof :  therQ 


332  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

were  at  that  time  two  physicians  and  two  surgeons 
in  waiting,  with  whom,  and  the  officer  on  guard,  I 
dined  on  what  had  been  dressed  for  the  prince's 
dinner.  The  physicians  were  called  in  immediately 
after  to  attend  the  prince,  who  was  struggling  out 
of  one  convulsion  into  another,  and,  after  great 
agonies,  expired  at  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon." 

Mr.  Coxe,  however,  is  so  much  prepossessed  with 
the  story  of  the  decapitation  as  to  say,  "it  by  no 
means  follows,  even  from  this  state  of  the  case, 
that  the  Czarovitz  was  poisoned."  For  he  asks, 
'*  Can  we  suppose  that  Peter  would  order  a  dose  of 
poison  to  be  prepared  for  his  son  at  a  chymist's 
shop,  and  that  Marshal  Weyde  would  openly  send 
for  it,  without  the  least  mystery  ?  May  we  not 
rather  infer  that  the  potion  was  a  medicine  similar 
to  those  which  had  been  already  prescribed  for  the 
prince,  who  had  for  some  time"  been  extremely  in- 
disposed ?  The  fright  of  the  chymist,"  he  argues, 
' '  might  arise  from  thinking  his  own  safety  involved 
in  the  catastrophe ;  ' '  and  he  arrives  at  this  most 
singular  conclusion,  that  ' '  the  agitation  of  Marshal 
Weyde  will  be  still  more  satisfactorily  accounted 
for,  if,  according  to  Busching,  he  was  preparing  to 
perform,  or  had  already  performed,  the  execution." 
Mr.  Coxe  is  here  evidently  in  a  dilemma — if  pre- 
paring for  the  operation,  where  was  the  need  of  the 
poison? — if  already  performed,  what  was  the  use  of 
the  potion?  If  he  was  already  poisoned,  it  could 
not  be  necessary  to  strike  off  his  head — if  beheaded, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  333 

still  less  necessary  to  administer  poison — if  it  was 
deemed  necessary  to  behead  him,  why  was  it  further 
necessary  to  sew  the  head  on  again,  and  so  neatly 
that  no  one  could  know  whether  the  head  had  ever 
been  off  ? 

With  regard  to  the  poison,  it  should  be  repeated 
that  Bruce  is  a  very  loose  writer.  If  he  had  said 
draught  instead  of  potion^  a  soothing  draught  or 
opiate  to  stay  his  convulsions  (to  which  the  family 
were  subject),  he  would  have  been  intelligible.  One 
thing  at  least  is  certain,  that  between  the  poisoning 
and  the  beheading,  the  undetermined  state  of  Mr. 
Coxe's  opinion  is  quite  sufficient  to  neutralize  both. 

Yoltaire  took  a  very  different  and  probably  a 
sounder  view  of  the  idle  reports  circulating  at  the 
time  in  Europe.  ^  ^  How  could  the  Czar, ' '  says  he, 
"  have  cut  off  the  head  of  his  son,  when  extreme 
unction  was  administered  to  him  in  the  presence  of 
all  the  court  ?  Had  he  no  head  when  the  oil  was 
poured  on  it?  At  what  time  might  this  head  have 
been  stitched  on  again  to  his  body?  The  prince, 
from  the  reading  of  the  sentence  to  his  death,  was 
not  left  alone  one  moment.  The  anecdote  of  his 
father's  making  use  of  the  axe  overthrows  the  story 
of  his  having  been  despatched  by  poison.  If  the 
Czar  had  poisoned  his  son,  this  would  have  deprived 
him  of  the  advantage  of  all  he  had  been  doing  dur- 
ing the  course  of  this  extraordinary  trial,  to  con- 
vince Europe  of  the  right  he  had  to  punish :  it  would 
have  brought  a  suspicion  on  the  motives  of  the  sen- 


834  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

tence,  and  would  have  been  to  condemn  himself. 
If  he  had  resolved  on  Alexis'  death,  he  would  have 
caused  the  sentence  to  be  executed ;  was  it  not  en- 
tirely in  his  power?  Could  a  prudent  person,  a 
monarch  who  had  attracted  the  eyes  of  all  the  world, 
bring  himself  basely  to  poison  one  whom  he  had  a 
right  to  cut  off  with  the  sword  of  justice?  Would 
he  suffer  his  name  to  be  transmitted  to  posterity  in 
the  heinous  colors  of  a  parricide,  when  he  might 
so  easily  have  brought  himself  off  only  as  a  rigorous 
judge? 

The  conclusion  to  which  this  shrewd  writer  comes 
is  this,  ^  that  Peter  had  more  of  the  king  than  the 
father  in  him ;  and  that  he  sacrificed  his  own  son 
to  his  views  as  founder  and  legislator,  and  to  the 
interest  of  his  nation,  which,  without  this  unhappy 
rigor,  would  have  relapsed  into  the  condition  from 
which  he  had  raised  it ;  that  the  sacrifice  was  not 
made  to  a  mother-in-law,  and  the  male  child  he  had 
by  her ;  for  that  he  had  often  threatened  to  disin- 
herit him  before  Catharine  had  brought  forth  that 
son,  the  infirmities  of  whose  infancy  bespoke  him 
to  be  short-lived,  and  who  accordingly  died  soon 
after ;  that  he  was  not  that  weak,  timorous  prince, 
as  to  run  such  a  length  purely  to  humor  his  wife. 
''  In  fine,"  he  says,  ''  on  maturely  considering  this 
catastrophe,  the  humane  shudder,  and  the  severe 
approve."  * 

*  Voltaire,  in  his  History  of  Charles  XII.,  written  thirty- 
eight  years  before,  says,  "  The  death  of  a  son,  who  deserved 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  335 

If  Alexis  had  honestly  declared  to  his  father, 
on  his  return  from  Naples,  who  his  advisers  were, 
the  Czar  would,  in  all  probability,  have  kept  his 
solemn  but  conditional  promise ;  he  did  not  do  this, 
but  prevaricated,  and  stated  what  was  not  the  truth. 
It  was,  perhaps,  not  to  be  expected,  that  he  should 
involve  his  mother  and  his  sister  in  the  list  of  those 
who  were  sure  to  undergo  the  most  rigorous  punish- 
ment, though  their  conduct  was  •  highly  reprehensi- 
ble. Among  the  ' '  bushy  beards  ' '  was  one  Dozi- 
theus,  bishop  of  Eostof,  who  had  a  revelation  from 
God  that  Peter  had  not  three  months  to  live ;  and  he 
persuaded  the  weak  woman  Eudoxia,*  who  with 
Mary  was  in  the  convent  of  Leesdal,  that  she  should, 
jointly  with  the  Prince  Alexis,  ascend  the  throne. 
She  had  assumed  the  name  of  Helena  on  entering 
the  convent,  but  she  now  reassumed  her  proper 
name,  laid  aside  her  religious  habit,  caused  herself 
to  be  styled  Majesty,  and  the  name  of  Catharine  to 
be  expunged  from  the  liturgy,  and  adopted  the  cere- 
monial dress  of  the  Czarinas.  The  bursar  of  the 
convent  remonstrated  with  her  on  these  proceed- 
ings, but  Eudoxia  haughtily  answered,  '<^  Peter 
chastised  the  Strelitzes  for  affronting  his  mother, 
and  my  son  Alexis  will  not  suffer  his  to  be  insulted, ' ' 

correction  or  disinheritance,  would  render  Peter's  memory 
odious,  if  the  benefits  derived  from  him  by  his  subjects  had 
not  almost  made  cruelty  towards  his  own  nature  pardonable." 
*  Eudoxia  was  the  divorced  wife  of  Peter.  See  above,  p. 
41.  The  placing  her  in  a  convent  was  one  of  the  customary 
forms  of  divorce  in  that  country. 


336  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

— ^and  immediately  she  confined  the  bursar  to  his 
cell.  Three  months  had  elapsed,  and  the  Czar  was 
still  living,  and  Eudoxia  expostulated  with  the 
bishop;  ''Madam,"  said  he,  "this  is  owing  to  my 
father's  sins ;  he  is  in  purgatory,  and  has  signified 
this  to  me. ' '  Thus  did  this  artful  priest  contrive  to 
put  off  the  predicted  event  from  month  to  month, 
and  to  extort  money  for  thousands  of  requiems  to. 
be  said  to  extract  his  father,  piece  by  piece,  out  of 
purgatory.  One  Gleboff,  an  officer,  who  had  an 
intrigue  with  the  repudiated  Czarina,  was  employed 
to  circulate  the  prediction,  on  which,  it  is  said, 
Alexis  went  abroad  to  wait  for  his  father's  death. 
The  whole  now  transpired.  The  bishop  and  Gleboff 
were  taken  into  custody.  The  princess  Mary's  let- 
ters to  Dozitheus,  and  those  of  Helena  to  Gleboff, 
were  publicly  read  before  the  senate.  The  princess 
was  confined  in  the  fortress  of  Schlusselburg,  and 
Eudoxia  removed  to  another  convent,  where  she 
was  kept  a  close  prisoner.  The  priest  and  Gleboff, 
with  all  the  accomplices  in  this  fruitless  and  super- 
stitious intrigue,  with  others  who  were  privy  to 
Alexis'  escape, — his  confessor,  governor,  and  mar- 
shal of  his  court,  were  put  to  the  torture,  and 
several  of  them  expired  under  it.* 

''  Thus,"  says  Yoltaire,  "  we  see  at  what  a  dear 
rate  did  Peter  the  Great  purchase  the  happiness 
which  he  procured  to  his  people ;  how  many  public 
and  private  impediments  he  had  to  surmount,  in  the 

*  Voltaire, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  337 

midst  of  a  long  and  diflBcult  war;  with  enemies 
abroad,  rebels  at  home;  half  his  family  plotting 
against  him ;  the  majority  of  his  priests  obstinately 
declaring  against  his  schemes;  almost  the  whole 
nation,  for  a  long  time,  execrating  its  own  happi- 
ness, of  which  it  had  not  then  a  proper  sense ;  preju- 
dices to  overcome;  discontents  to  allay;  till,  at 
length,  a  new  generation,  formed  by  his  care, 
should  close  with  those  ideas  of  glory  and  prosperity 
which  their  fathers  could  not  bear." 

22 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Peace  of  Neustadt — Peter  entreated  to  accept  the  Titles 
of  Emperor,  Great  and  Father  of  his  Country— Several 
new  Institutions  and  Manufactories  established — An  Em- 
bassy sent  to  China— Assemblies,  or  Soirees,  instituted — 
Peter's  Mode  of  Living — Provides  for  the  Succession. 

The  long-continued  war  between  Russia  and  Swe- 
den appeared,  at  length,  to  be  drawing  to  a  close. 
That  arch-intriguer  Goertz  had  concerted  a  grand 
plan,  which  was  to  reconcile  Peter  and  Charles, 
drive  George  I.  from  the  throne  of  England,  and 
set  the  Pretender  upon  it,  and  to  restore  Stanislaus 
to  that  of  Poland.  The  first  hint  of  this  project  is 
supposed  to  have  been  suggested  to  Peter  when  he 
was  last  in  Holland.  Goertz  knew  that  the  Czar 
had  tak6n  offense  at  Wismar  being  left  to  the  King 
of  Denmark,  which,  of  right,  belonged  to  the  Duke 
of  Mecklenburg  who  had  married  his  niece ;  and  of 
this  feeling  he  availed  himself.  It  was  supposed 
that  the  Czar  had  an  interview  with  him  at  the 
Hague,  and  the  king  of  England  remonstrated  with 
him,  but  Peter  satisfied  him  that  it  was  not  true. 
The  plot,  however,  was  laid,  and  discovered  by  in- 
tercepted letters  of  Goertz  in  Holland,  and  Gj^llem- 
berg  the   Swedish    minister   in   London,    both    of 

338 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  339 

whom,  as  well  as  their  papers,  were  seized,  one  in 
London  the  other  at  Arnheim,  and  both  were  kept 
in  confinement,  like  two  criminals,  for  nearly  six 
months. 

The  Czar  was  supposed  to  have  listened  to  his 
projects,  but  without  appearing  to  give  them  much 
encouragement.  He  was,  however,  so  far  prevailed 
on  as  to  send  General  Bruce  and  Osterman  as  pleni- 
potentiaries to  the  island  of  Aland,  where  the  con- 
ditions of  peace  were  to  be  negotiated.  In  the 
meantime,  the  Czar  kept  a  fleet  at  sea,  which  cap- 
tured the  Swedish  ships  and  committed  depredations 
along  the  whole  coast ;  but  he  evinced  a  willing- 
ness to  listen  to  pacific  overtures,  by  assenting  to 
an  exchange  of  certain  oiRcers  of  high  rank,  who 
had  long  been  detained  in  the  two  countries  as 
prisoners  of  war.  To  the  complete  success  of 
Goertz's  plan,  which  is  not  necessary  here  to  be 
developed,  Peter  and  Charles  were  required  to  enter 
into  an  offensive  alliance,  and  a  large  combined 
army  was  to  be  landed  in  Scotland.  Charles  was 
to  have  the  command  of  this  invading  force,  destined 
to  place  the  Pretender  on  the  throne  of  England. 

Just  at  this  moment,  when  Goertz  and  his  confed- 
erates were,  as  Yoltaire  says,  on  the  wished-for  eve 
of  throwing  all  Europe  into  universal  confusion,  a 
random  shot  from  the  works  of  Fredrikstadt,  in 
Norway,  quashed  all  their  projects :  Charles  the 
XII.  was  killed,  and  Goertz  beheaded  at  Stock- 
holm.    The  crown  of  Sweden  was   transferred  to 


340  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Ulrica  Elenora,  sister  of  Charles  XII.,  who  was 
married  a  short  time  before  to  the  hereditary  Prince 
of  Hesse.  It  is  said  that  when  Peter  heard  of  the 
death  of  Charles,  he  could  not  refrain  from  tears, — 
that  he  retired  to  conceal  his  weakness,  and  that, 
on  rejoining  the  company,  he  said,  in  a  mournful 
tone,  '^  My  dear  Charles,  how  much  I  lament 
you."  * 

Shortly  after  the  conclusion  of  these  proceedings, 
on  the  6th  May,  1719,  the  Czar's  only  remaining 
son,  Peter  Petrovitz,  who  had  been  declared  hered- 
itary prince  of  Muscovy,  departed  this  life,  at  the 
age  of  five  years,  to  the  great  grief  of  his  parents, 
though  his  sickly  constitution  held  out  little  or  no 
hope  that  he  would  ever  arrive  at  manhood. 

The  affairs  of  Sweden  underwent  a  complete 
change  by  the  death  of  Charles ;  instead  of  uniting 
with  the  Czar  against  England,  the  new  government 
was  most  glad  to  unite  its  forces  to  England  against 
the  Czar.  The  Swedes  were  desirous  of  peace,  and 
hoped  that  the  appearance  of  a  British  fleet  in  the 
Baltic  might  be  the  means  of  procuring  for  them  a 
more  advantageous  one.  In  the  meantime  the  Czar 
kept  the  sea  with  a  fleet  of  twelve  sail  of  the  line, 
several  frigates  and  large  galleys,  of  which  he  was 
second  in  command,  as  vice-admiral  under  Admiral 
Apraxin.  A  smart  engagement  took  place  with  a 
Swedish  squadron,  which  ended  in  the  Kussians  driv- 
ing them  into  port,  and  taking  one  ship  of  the  line 

*Staehlin  authority;  Wasselowski,  privy  counsellor. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  34I 

and  two  frigates.  Just  at  this  moment  an  English 
fleet,  under  Sir  John  Norris,  made  its  appearance 
in  the  Baltic  for  the  protection  of  Sweden.  Peter, 
nothing  intimidated,  determined  to  keep  the  sea; 
and  sent  a  message  to  the  English  admiral,  demand- 
ing, in  a  peremptory  manner,  whether  he  had  come 
merely  as  a  friend  to  Sweden  or  as  an  enemy  to 
Russia.  The  ansAver  of  the  admiral  was,  that  he 
had  not  yet  received  any  orders  to  act  for  or  against 
either  power.  The  fact  was,  he  was  sent  for  no 
other  purpose  than  to  give  confidence  to  Sweden, 
and  thus  to  enable  her  probably  to  secure  more  ad- 
vantageous terms  of  peace.  This,  however,  had  not 
the  desired  eifect.  Though  the  English  fleet  com- 
mitted no  act  of  hostility,  yet  its  junction  with  that 
of  Sweden  exasperated  the  Russians,  who  made 
dreadful  havoc  on  the  coasts  of  that  unfortunate 
country,  burning  many  thousand  houses,  and  destroy- 
ing copper  and  iron-foundries,  and  other  manufactur- 
ing buildings.  On  a  descent  made  by  them  near 
Yasa,  they  burnt  and  destroyed  forty  villages,  con- 
sisting of  above  a  thousand  houses,  and  spread  deso- 
lation over  the  whole  of  that  part  of  the  country ; 
one  account  states,  two  towns,  twenty-one  castles 
or  noblemen's  houses,  five  hundred  and  thirty-five 
villages  and  hamlets,  forty  wells,  sixteen  magazines, 
and  nine  mines  of  iron.  They  destroyed  corn  and 
forage,  and  slew  all  the  cattle  and  horses  that  they 
could  not  carry  off ;  and  to  complete  the  misfortunes 
of  the  Swedes,  Prince  Galitzin  attacked  and  carried 


342  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

four  Swedish  frigates.  The  destruction  of  the  Swe- 
dish copper  and  iron-works,  and  the  breaking  down 
the  mounds  that  preserved  the  mines  from  inunda- 
tion, making  the  ruin  irretrievable,  entailed  misery 
and  want  on  thousands  that^had  subsisted  by  them. 

These  devastations  induced  Sweden  to  demand  a 
suspension  of  arms,  and  through  the  mediation  of 
the  Duke  of  Orleans,  regent  of  France,  the  long- 
negotiated  reconciliation  was  brought  about ;  a  con- 
gress was  held  at  Neustadt  or  Nystadt,  in  Finland, 
and  the  peace  was  concluded  by  ceding  forever  to 
the  Czar  all  his  conquests :  thus  leaving  him  sov- 
ereign over  Livonia,  Esthonia,  Ingria,  Carelia,  Wy- 
burg,  and  the  adjacent  islands,  and  securing  to  him 
the  dominion  of  the  sea  of  Finland,  which,  with  the 
surrounding  coasts,  he  had  purchased  with  the  toils 
and  perils  of  twenty  years.  The  peace  of  ISTeustadt 
was  signed  by  his  minister  Osterman  and  General 
Bruce,  on  the  10th  September,  1721. 

By  this  peace  Peter  had  now  attained  the  summit 
of  his  glory.  Nothing  could  surpass  the  joy  which 
this  event  shed  over  the  whole  of  Russia,  the  intel- 
ligence of  which  was  forthwith  despatched  from  one 
end  of  the  empire  to  the  other.  Orders  at  the  same 
time  were  sent  to  set  at  liberty  all  the  Swedish  pris- 
oners in  Siberia,  and  other  remote  provinces,  offer- 
ing those  who  might  choose  to  remain  the  same 
rank  in  his  army  that  they  held  in  their  own ;  re- 
quiring them  only  to  make  their  voluntary  declar- 
ation in  presence  of  the  chief  Swedish  officers,  about 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  343 

to  return,  that  it  might  not  afterward  be  said  he 
had  detained  them  contrary  to  their  will,  and  the 
terms  of  the  treaty.  The  generosity  of  Peter  went 
so  far  as  to  give  the  strongest  testimony  and  recom- 
mendation to  those  Swedish  officers  of  whose  valor 
and  fidelity  to  their  king  and  country  he  had  been 
witness ;  and  the  new  King  of  Sweden  attended  to 
these  testimonials,  promoting,  among  others.  Rear- 
admiral  Ehrenschild  to  the  rank  of  full  admiral ;  and 
Peter,  on  the  departure  of  that  gallant  officer,  with 
whom  he  had  been  personally  engaged  in  combat, 
made  him  a  present  of  his  picture  set  with  dia- 
monds. To  the  reformed  Protestants  of  Pio:a  he 
granted  a  church  for  the  public  exercise  of  their 
religion,  which  they  could  never  obtain  from  the 
Swedish  government ;  conferring  other  privileges 
for  the  encouragement  of  foreigners  of  that  com- 
munion to  settle  there.  He  restored  to  the  Livo- 
nians  the  privileges  they  had  been  deprived  of  in 
the  two  last  reigns,  for  the  defense  of  w^hich  the 
unhappy  Patkul  may  be  said  to  have  died  a  martyr. 
The  Czar  appointed  a  day  of  public  thanksgiving 
for  the  peace,  a  few  days  before  which  he  made  a 
communication  to  the  following  effect  to  the  senate, 
' '  That  since  it  had  pleased  God  to  heap  on  him  so 
many  blessings,  during  the  late  burdensome  and 
protracted  war,  and  to  grant  a  peace  so  glorious  and 
so  advantageous  for  the  whole  empire,  it  was  in- 
cumbent on  him,  as  an  act  of  justice,  and  in  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  great  mercies  he  had  received, 


344  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

to  confer  some  favor  on  the  nation ;  he  therefore 
thought  it  right  to  direct  that  a  general  amnesty 
throughout  the  empire  should  be  declared,  not  only 
for  such  whose  crimes  had  deserved  punishment, 
but  to  those  who  were  under  sentence ;  that  all  pub- 
lic debts  owing  by  those  who  were  unable  to  pay  be 
remitted ;  that  all  poor  subjects  be  absolved  from 
all  arrears  of  taxes  and  imposts  due  to  the  treasury, 
up  to  the  day  of  the  proclamation  of  the  peace. ' ' 
The  senate,  having  hereupon  most  humbly  thanked 
his  Czarish  majesty,  in  the  name  of  the  whole  na- 
tion, for  his  paternal  clemency  and  tenderness 
towards  his  subjects,  orders  were  immediately  des- 
patched to  set  at  liberty  all  persons  in  confinement 
in  the  prisons  and  the  galleys,  whether  for  debts  or 
misdemeanors,  or  crimes  of  high-treason ;  those  of 
robbery  and  murder  only  excepted. 

The  senate,  after  much  deliberation  with  the 
heads  of  the  church,  came  to  a  resolution  that  his 
majesty,  having  acquired  for  the  nation  so  much 
glory  in  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world,  should  be  en- 
treated, as  a  token  of  acknowledgment  on  the  part 
of  his  subjects,  and  after  the  example  of  other 
sovereigns,  to  accept  and  adopt  the  titles  of  ' «  Peter 
the  Great  ^  Einjperor  of  all  the  Russias^  and  father  of 
his  Country;  "  praying  him,  in  the  name  of  all  the 
states  in  the  Eussian  empire,  to  permit  them  to 
make  an  offering  of  these  titles  for  his  acceptance, 
on  the  day  of  the  celebration  of  the  peace  in  the 
great  cathedral.     His  majesty,  after  a  considerable 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  US 

hesitation,  at  last  consented ;  and,  on  the  day  in 
question,  after  divine  service,  the  Archbishop  of 
Pscov  delivered  a  speech,  in  which  he  enumerated 
all  the  glorious  exploits  of  his  majesty,  and  the 
favors  he  had  heaped  on  the  nation  and  his  subjects 
during  his  reign.  Then  the  great  chancellor,  Count 
Golofkin,  delivered  a  similar  speech,  in  which,  in 
the  name  of  all  the  states  of  the  empire,  he  hmnbly 
entreated  the  Czar  to  accept  the  above-mentioned 
titles — stating  that  the  title  of  Emperor  was  granted 
some  ages  ago  to  his  majesty's  illustrious  ancestor 
by  the  great  Roman  emperor  Maximilian  I.*  That 
the  title  of  Great  his  majesty  had  acquired  by  his 
heroic  deeds ;  and,  said  he,  as  for  the  title  of  Father 
OF  HIS  Country,  we  have  thought  fit  to  give  it  to 
your  majesty,  as  being  our  Father^  whom  God  has 
been  pleased  to  grant  us,  in  his  great  goodness, 
without  any  merit  of  our  own. 

Then  the  whole  senate  thrice  repeated,  ^^  Long 
live  Peter  the  Great^  Emjperor  of  all  the  Bttssias^ 
and  Father  of  his  Country  !  ' '  and  the  w^hole  assem- 
bly testified  their  applause,  by  the  sound  of  trumpets 
and  kettle-drums,  and  the  roar  of  cannon  from  the 
ramparts,  the  admiralty,  and  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  galleys,  which  had  arrived  the  same 
day,  and  brought  upwards  of  twenty  thousand  men 

*  In  the  archives  of  Russia  is  a  despatch,  of  the  date  1514, 
ratified  with  the  seal  of  the  Golden  Bull,  in  which  Maximilian 
addresses  Vassili  Ivanovitch  as  Kayser  und  Herrscher  aUer 
Eussien— Emperor  and  Ruler  of  all  the  Russias. — Coxe, 


346  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

who  had  been  serving  in  Finland.  In  going  out  of 
the  cathedral,  their  imperial  majesties  were  saluted 
with  the  acclamations  of  the  people.  They  pro- 
ceeded to  the  hall  of  the  senate-house,  where  Prince 
Menzikoff  and  Count  Apraxin  declared  the  promo- 
tions of  several  military  and  naval  officers,  after 
which  the  assembly  sat  down  to  table,  when  more 
than  a  thousand  persons  of  both  sexes  were  enter- 
tained. The  conduits  in  the  street  ran  with  wine ; 
an  ox  was  roasted  whole  and  stuffed  with  fowls  for 
the  populace,  and  the  night  concluded  with  illumina- 
tions and  fireworks.  The  rejoicing  continued  for 
fifteen  days,  during  which  were  held  five  or  six  grand 
masquerades,  in  which  the  whole  court  bore  a  part. 
The  emperor  had  now  leisure  to  look  over  those 
institutions  and  establishments  which  he  had  set  on 
foot  since  the  year  1718.  In  that  year  he  entirely 
new-modeled  a  general  police  for  the  empire;  he 
commenced  several  projects  for  uniting  rivers  by 
means  of  canals;  he  prohibited  games  of  chance 
which  might  be  called  gambling ;  he  instituted  or- 
phan-houses and  a  foundling-hospital ;  he  established 
a  uniformity  of  weights  and  measures ;  and  endeav- 
ored to  settle,  contrary  to  every  principle  of  political 
economy,  the  prices  of  provisions,  and  a  maximum 
to  the  luxury  of  dress:  he  caused  the  streets  of 
St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow  to  be  paved,  and  cleared 
of  swarms  of  beggars ;  and  made  several  regulations 
for  safety,  order,  and  cleanliness.  He  took  off  the 
restriction   of   his   subjects    traveling   abroad,  but 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  347 

ordered  all  the  young  nobility  to  take  their  wives 
with  them,  to  learn  and  bring  back  the  manners 
and  deportment  of  the  more  civilized  courts  of  Eu- 
rope; and  not  only  proclaimed  certain  privileges 
for  strangers  settling  in  the  country,  but  gave  as- 
surances against  any  abuse  on  the  part  of  the 
natives  of  such  privileges. 

He  established  a  manufactory  of  small  arms, 
which  he  attended  frequently  in  person ;  and  he  en- 
couraged the  erection  of  corn,  powder,  and  sawmills. 
He  gave  bounties  to  those  who  undertook  the  manu- 
facture of  woolen  and  linen  cloth;  and  by  this 
liberality  he  was  soon  enabled  to  clothe  his  army 
with  home  manufactures  instead  of  purchasing  them 
from  Berlin  and  other  places  in  Germany.  He 
erected  a  board  of  mines,  of  which  there  were 
abundance,  of  iron,  copper,  gold,  and  silver,  in  his 
dominions,  the  duties  of  which  board  were  chiefly 
to  ascertain  whether  the  produce  would  exceed  the 
expense  of  working  them. 

The  foreign  trade  of  Eussia  Avith  Europe,  which 
had  hitherto  been  carried  on  at  Archangel,  was  now 
mostly  transferred  to  St.  Petersburg  and  Riga ;  that 
with  Persia,  consisting  chiefly  of  silk,  centered  at 
Astrakhan,  and  was  conducted  by  the  Armenians, 
whom  Peter  encouraged  to  settle  there.  A  trade 
between  Siberia  and  China  had  existed,  long  before 
the  time  of  Peter  the  Great,  by  means  of  caravans, 
but  it  had  more  than  once  been  interrupted ;  the 
last  time  in  consequence  of  some  insult  committed 


04S  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

by  the  people  of  the  caravans  against  one  of  the 
vicars  of  the  Lama,  and  even  against  the  Chinese. 
It  was,  however,  renewed;  and  the  Emperor  Kang- 
hee,  finding  his  health  decline,  and  imagining  that 
European  physicians  might  be  as  much  superior  to 
the  Chinese  as  he  had  proved  European  astronomers 
to  be,  desired  the  conductor  of  the  caravan  to  re- 
quest the  Czar  would  send  him  a  physician.  Mr. 
Bell  of  Antermony,  who  happened  to  be  at  that 
time  at  St.  Petersburg,  volunteered  to  go  in  that 
capacity,  and  to  accompany  Mr.  Lange,  both  of 
whom  have  published  accounts  of  their  travels. 
The  ambassador  was  well  received;  the  surgeon 
found  the  emperor  in  good  health ;  but  the  caravan, 
on  its  return,  committed  fresh  outrages ;  which  gave 
such  umbrage  to  the  emperor,  that  Lange,  the  Rus- 
sian resident,  was  sent  away  from  Pekin,  together 
with  all  the  Russian  merchants.  Peter  succeeded 
in  recovering  this  branch  of  trade,  which  was,  how- 
ever, to  be  confined  to  the  frontiers  of  the  two  em- 
pires, and  none  but  a  certain  number  of  Russians 
were  to  be  admitted  into  Pekin.  That  trade  still 
exists;  and  young  Russians  are  sent  to  Pekin  to 
study  the  language,  the  better  to  conduct  the  trade 
on  the  frontiers ;  but  while  in  the  capital,  they  are 
confined  within  the  walls  of  their  residence. 

On  the  Czar's  return  to  Moscow,  he  appointed  a 
commission,  of  which  Marshal  Weyde  was  presi- 
dent, to  inquire  into  certain  abuses  which  had  crept 
in  during  his  absence.     Among  others  was  a  charge 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  349 

against  Prince  Gagarin,  governor  of  Siberia,  of 
having,  by  means  of  Tartars,  waylaid  and  robbed 
his  majesty's  caravan,  coming  from  China,  and  kill- 
ing several  of  the  persons  conducting  it ;  by  which 
Gagarin  had  accumulated  immense  wealth.  The 
proofs  produced  so  clearly  established  his  guilt,  that 
he  was  committed  to  the  fortress  till  his  majesty's 
pleasure  should  be  known.  The  Czar  visited  him  in 
prison,  and  told  him  if  he  would  make  a  fair  con- 
fession of  the  whole,  he  would,  on  the  faith  of  his 
royal  word,  grant  him  a  pardon.  He  pleaded 
guilty,  and  signed  a  confession  which  he  made  in 
writing.  It  was  read  before  the  senate,  in  the 
presence  of  Gagarin,  who,  on  being  asked  if  he 
acknowledged  the  act,  said  he  was  innocent  of  the 
crime,  but  that  the  Czar  had  frightened  him  so  much 
that  he  was  forced  to  write  and  sign  it  against  his 
will.  The  Czar,  who  was  present,  was  confounded, 
and  the  senators  amazed.  The  Czar  at  last  said  he 
should  have  fair  play  for  his  life,  and  ordered  the 
witnesses  against  him  to  be  produced,  at  the  head 
of  whom  appeared  his  own  secretary,  who  proved 
the  validity  of  the  charges  brought  against  him. 
The  prince  fell  on  his  knees,  and  confessed  he  was 
unworthy  of  the  royal  clemency.  The  Czar  ordered 
a  gallows,  as  high  as  Haman's,  fifty  cubits,  to  be 
erected  before  the  senate-house,  on  which  he  was 
hanged,  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  of  the  sena- 
tors, to  many  of  whom  he  was  related.* 

*  Bruce,  Mottley,  &c, 


850  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

In  the  midst  of  the  weighty  matters  which  fell 
under  his  consideration,  he  was  not  unmindful  of 
cultivating  among  his  subjects  a  taste  for  literature 
and  the  fine  arts.  He  sent  several  young  Russians 
to  Holland  and  Italy,  some  to  be  instructed  in  paint- 
ing, and  others  in  architecture.  On  their  return 
the  painters  embellished  several  churches,  both  at 
St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow;  and  the  architects 
were  employed  in  building  churches,  and  palaces, 
and  other  public  edifices.  Of  martial  music  he  was 
particularly  fond ;  and  he  attempted  to  introduce  the 
Italian  opera,  but  that,  however,  appears  to  have 
failed.  Scenes  like  those  exhibited  on  the  marriage 
of  his  jester,  Sotof,  seemed,  as  yet,  to  be  more  con- 
genial with  the  taste  of  the  rude  Muscovite. 

The  emperor  had  frequently  endeavored  to  bring 
the  two  sexes  more  frequently  and  publicly  to- 
gether, and  had  in  some  degree  succeeded.  He  now 
instituted  a  regulation  by  which  he  should  more  ef- 
fectually ensure  this  intercourse,  by  soirees  or  con- 
versaziones, which  he  wisely  judged  was  the  first 
step  to  smooth  down  the  roughness  of,  and  give  a 
polish  to,  his  untutored  countrymen.  The  regula- 
tions themselves  show,  in  some  degree,  what  the 
state  of  society  was  at  that  time.  1.  A  public  no- 
tice was  to  be  hung  out  at  the  house  of  assembly. 
2.  The  company  to  assemble  not  sooner  than  five, 
nor  continue  later  than  ten.  3.  The  master  of  the 
house  to  find  chairs,  candles,  liquors,  and  all  neces- 
saries that  might  be  required ;  materials,  as  cards, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  351 

&G. ,  for  gaming ;  but  not  obliged  to  attend  to  or 
wait  on  his  guests.  4.  Every  one  to  come  and  go 
when  he  pleases,  Avithin  the  prescribed  hours.  5. 
Every  one  to  sit,  walk,  play,  or  converse,  just  as  it 
suits  him ;  any  breach  of  etiquette  to  be  punished, 
by  the  person  committing  it  emptying  the  great 
eagle.  6.  Noblemen,  officers  of  state,  of  the  army, 
and  navy,  respectable  merchants,  and  ship-builders, 
with  their  wives  and  children,  to  have  liberty  to 
frequent  these  assemblies.  A  particular  place  to  be 
assigned  to  the  servants. 

These  soirees  are  said  to  have  been  attended  with 
the  happiest  effects,  though  the  admission  of  such 
a  mixed  company  was  sometimes  productive  of 
rather  awkward  situations.  The  great  propensity 
which  the  Eussians  generally  had  for  strong  liquors, 
the  ladies  as  well  as  gentlemen,  was  occasionally 
indulged  in  to  excess,  and  scenes  occurred  that 
would  not  be  tolerated  in  civilized  society.  It  re- 
quired time  to  get  rid  of  this  gross  indulgence,  if  it 
has  yet  been  entirely  eradicated ;  for  it  is  stated  on 
very  competent  authority  that  ' '  intoxication  is  not 
disgraceful, — and,  even  among  people  of  good  con- 
dition, if  a  lady  be  overtaken  in  liquor,  it  is  no  sub- 
ject of  reproach;  "  they  are  said  to  be  ''  friendly, 
jovial,  and  courteous ;  boast  of  their  friendship,  and 
those  that  are  not  able  to  stand  find  ready  assistance 
from  those  who  can. ' '  * 

Peter  in  his  youth  was  strongly  addicted  to  the 
*  Tooke's  Russian  Empire, 


S52  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

vice  of  drinking ;  but  he  had,  for  some  years  past, 
given  it  entirely  up.  He  generally  dined  alone  with 
Catharine,  being  waited  on  by  a  single  page  and  a 
lady's  maid.  He  would  suffer  no  footman  to  remain 
in  the  room,  except  when  he  entertained  company. 
He  is  reported  to  have  said  to  the  old  Baron  Mard- 
felt,  the  Prussian  envoy,  one  day  at  table,  "  Hire- 
lings and  lackeys  never  lose  sight  of  their  master's 
mouth :  they  are  spies  on  all,  he  says, — misconstrue 
everything,  and  consequently  report  everything 
erroneously. ' '  ^ 

The  emperor  deemed  it  right  to  give  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  ancient  capital  a  repetition  of  the  enter- 
tainment which  had  taken  place  at  St.  Petersburg, 
in  celebration  of  the  glorious  peace.  As  introduc- 
tory to  this,  he  made  his  triumphal  entry  into  Mos- 
cow, at  the  head  of  his  guards,  and  passed  through 
four  triumphal  arches,  at  each  of  which  he  wais 
complimented  by  the  several  authorities.  And  as 
Alexander  has  recorded  in  the  hut  where  Peter  re- 
sided at  Zaandam,  ''  To  a  great  man  nothing  is 
little, ' '  the  emperor  exhibited  here  many  things  that 
to  a  refined  people  would  appear  very  trifling ;  but 
he  had  an  object  in  view  and  an  end  to  attain  in 
everything  he  did.  Thus,  among  the  fetes,  the 
balls,  the  masquerades,  and  other  diversions,  which 
lasted  six  weeks,  was  exhibited  a  little  yacht  com- 
pletely rigged,  of  beautiful  workmanship,  splendidly 
gilt  and  painted,  mounted  with  twelve  small  brass 

*  Staehlin  ;  authority,  Baron  Mardfelat's  nephew. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  353 

guns ;  it  was  placed  on  a  sledge  drawn  by  horses, 
in  which  the  emperor,  the  Duke  of  Holstein,  and 
distinguished  officers  of  the  army  and  navy,  to  the 
number  of  twenty,  dressed  as  seamen,  drove  for 
several  days  through  the  streets  of  Moscow,  with 
colors  flying,  and  a  band  of  martial  music ;  and  on 
stopping  at  the  house  of  some  one  of  the  great  offi- 
cers of  state,  where  they  were  to  dine,  a  salute  was 
fired  from  the  brass  guns.  The  inhabitants,  who 
had  never  seen  the  sea,  were  delighted  with  this 
show,  which  gave  them  a  much  better  idea  of  what 
a  ship  of  war  was  than  otherwise  they  could  have 
conceived, — and  so  far  the  emperor's  object  was 
answered.* 

Honest  John  Bell,  whose  testimony  no  one  will 
doubt,  and  who  was  present,  says,  that  after  the 
galley  came  a  frigate  of  sixteen  small  brass  guns, 
completely  rigged,  manned  with  twelve  youths, 
habited  like  Dutch  skippers,  in  black  velvet,  who 
trimmed  the  sails  and  performed  all  the  maneuvers 
as  of  a  ship  at  sea.  Then  followed  richly-decorated 
barges,  wherein  sat  the  empress  and  the  ladies  of 
the  court.  There  were  also  pilot-boats  heaving  the 
lead,  and  above  thirty  other  vessels,  pinnaces,  wher- 
ries, &c.,  each  filled  with  masqueraders  in  the 
dresses  of  different  nations.  All  this  was  in  the 
month  of  February,  when  the  ground  was  covered 
with  snow.  The  sledge  on  which  the  large  ship 
was  required  above  forty  horses  to  draw  it.  Thus 
*  Bruce's  Memoirs, 

23 


354  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

did  this  extraordinary  man  endeavor  to  apprize  hiis 
inland  subjects  of  Moscow,  who  had  an  aversion  to 
maritime  affairs,  in  what  a  marine  consisted,  from 
which  they  had  derived  such  great  advantages.* 

As  Moscow  was  the  residence  of  great  numbers 
of  the  ancient  boyars,  and  the  headquarters  of  the 
clergy,  who  had  not  as  yet  reconciled  themselves 
to  the  bold  church  reforms  of  the  emperor,  Peter 
thought  it  expedient  to  repeat,  among  the  various 
diversions,  one  of  those  masquerades,  or  carnivals, 
which,  by  a  farcical  exaggeration,  turned  into  ridi- 
cule the  bushy-beards,  and  long  coats,  and  rude 
customs  and  ceremonies,  to  which  many  of  the  people 
were  still  attached.  The  emperor  knew  enough 
of  human  nature  to  be  convinced  that  raillery  might 
succeed  where  severity  failed  to  correct  slight  abuses 
and  unseemly  habits,  and  that  they  may  be 

''  Touch'd  and  shamed  by  ridicule  alone." 

He  found  it  absolutely  necessary  to  restrain  the 
clergy,  who,  by  inculcating  old  usages  and  supersti- 
tious notions,  carried  the  bulk  of  the  people  along 
with  them,  in  opposition  to  his  measures  of  reform. 
Russia  had  long  been  deluged  with  priests,  monks, 
and  nuns.  From  the  first  introduction  of  the  Greek 
church,  Muscovy  had  been  a  fertile  soil  for  these 
unproductive  drones.  In  Hackluyt's  Collection  of 
Voyages  is  a  descriptive  account  of  this  country  in 
verse,  by  Master  George  Turbervile,  long  before 
*  Bell's  Travels  in  Russia. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  355 

the  time  of  Peter,  pithy  if  not  poetic,  in  which  the 
writer  says, — 

"The  cold  is  rare,  the  people  rude,  the  prince  so  full  of  pride, 
The  realm  so  stor'd  with  monks,  and  nunnes,  and  priests  on 

every  side, — 
The  manners  are  so  Turkie  like,  the  men  so  full  of  guile, 
The  women  wanton,  temples  stufft  with  idols  that  defile, 
The  seats  that  sacred  ought  to  be,  the  customs  are  so  quaint. 
As  if  I  would  describe  the  whole,  I  feare  my  pen  would  faint.  "* 

In  the  thinly  peopled  state  of  Kussia,  Peter 
thought  it  bad  policy  to  encourage  the  celibacy  of 
monks  and  nuns ;  and,  therefore,  to  put  a  stop  to 
young  men  and  women  cloistering  themselves,  in 
order  to  live  in  idleness  at  the  public  expense,  and 
contribute  nothing  to  the  public  good,  he  ordained 
that  none  of  either  sex  should  be  admitted  to  a  mon- 
astic life  at  a  less  age  than  fifty — declaring,  as  the 
groundwork  of  his  reformation,  that  ' '  he  should 
think  himself  guilty  of  ingratitude  to  the  Most  High 
if,  after  having  reformed  the  civil  and  military  or- 
ders, he  neglected  the  spiritual."  But  in  appoint- 
ing himself  Head  of  the  church,  he  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  commence  deacon,  and  go  through  all 
the  gradations  of  church  preferments,  as  he  had  done 
in  the  army  and  navy :  these  required  encourage- 
ment and  example ;  but  those  were  considered  to 
want  the  curb  rather  than  the  spur. 

Having  lost  his  last  remaining  son  and  heir,  Peter, 
with  the  advice  of  his  council,  thought  it  expedient 
*  Hackluyt's  Voyages. 


356  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

to  settle  the  question  of  succession ;  as  the  future 
prosperity  of  the  great  empire,  which  he  may  be 
said  to  have  created,  depended  on  the  choice  of  a  sov- 
ereign who  should  tread  in  his  steps,  and  perfect  the 
vast  designs  which  he  had  commenced, — the  main 
objects  of  which  were,  to  rescue  his  people  from  the 
barbarous  ignorance  in  which  he  found  them,  and 
to  place  the  Kussian  empire  on  an  equality  with 
other  European  nations,  in  all  the  acquirements  of  a 
civilized  society.  Public  notice  was  therefore  given 
by  sound  of  trumpet,  that  all  officers,  civil  and  mili- 
tary, and  all  natural-born  subjects  inhabiting  the 
capital,  should  repair  to  the  Kremlin ;  and  here  his 
majesty's  pleasure  was  signified,  that  each  and  every 
man  should  swear  to  bear  firm  allegiance  to  the 
person  whom  it  might  please  his  imperial  majesty  to 
declare  his  successor,  and  acknowledge  that  person 
as  emperor  and  sovereign  of  all  the  Kussias.  It 
was  not  in  the  least  known  on  whom  the  succession 
was  meant  to  be  conferred ;  but  Bruce,  who  had  to 
administer  the  oath  throughout  one  of  the  parishes, 
says,  ''  The  order  struck  a  damp  on  the  spirits  of 
everybody,  when  they  reflected  on  the  undoubted 
title  of  the  young  Prince  Peter,  his  majesty's  grand- 
son, and  only  remaining  male  heir  of  the  imperial 
family ;  who  was  as  promising  and  hopeful  a  young 
prince  as  any  of  his  age  could  possibly  be.  This 
duty,"  he  says,  ^' took  me  no  less  than  five  weeks' 
close  attendance  from  daylight  in  the  morning  till 
late  at  night  by  candles:  this,"  he  adds,   'Mvas  to 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  357 

me  the  most  disagreeable  service  I  ever  performed 
in  Russia,  as  I  was  so  well  acquainted  with  the  ex- 
cellent temper  and  genius  of  the  young  prince,  hav- 
ing had  the  honor  to  teach  him  the  military  exer- 
cises and  fortification,  and  to  whose  prejudice  this 
oath  was  certainly  administered."* 

This,  it  will  be  admitted,  was  a  proper  feeling  on 
the  part  of  Bruce,  who  was  the  young  prince's  drill- 
master  ;  but  the  views  of  Peter,  and  the  situation 
in  which  the  country  would  be  placed,  in  the  event 
of  his  death,  demanded  that  he  should  put  himself 
above  all  family  considerations.  By  the  death  of 
Alexis,  who  was  as  weak  in  intellect  as  wicked  in 
disposition,  the  progressive  regeneration  of  Russia 
was  in  some  degree  secured :  no  focal  point  was  now 
left  for  the  ' '  bushy  beards  ' '  and  disaffected  boyars 
to  rally  round ;  but  Peter  knew  very  well  that  he 
had  only 


scotch'd  the  snake,  not  kill'd  it 


and  that,  without  a  firm  hand  to  guide  the  reins, 
and  to  watch  attentively  the  movements  of  the 
wounded  animal,  she  would  ' '  close  and  be  herself 
again."  The  same  sentiment  might  occur  to  him  as 
to  a  great  master  of  human  nature, — "  Wo  unto  the 
land  that  is  governed  by  a  child !  "  or,  as  the  Scrip- 
ture has  it,  ' '  whose  princes  are  children. ' ' 
*  Brace's  Memoirs. 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

Peter  directs  his  views  towards  Persia— Failure  of  the  Expedi- 
tion—Trial and  Punishment  of  certain  Delinquents— Cele- 
bration of  the  "  Little  Grandsire,"  the  first  germ  of  the 
Russian  Navy. 

By  the  treaty  which  the  Emperor  of  all  the  Riis- 
sias  had  concluded  with  the  Sublime  Porte,  and  by 
which  he  had  agreed  to  abandon  Azof  and  his  estab- 
lishments on  the  Sea  of  Azof,  he  found  himself  com- 
pletely shut  out  from  the  navigation  and  commerce 
of  the  Black  Sea ;  which,  however,  at  that  time,  con- 
sidering the  jealousy  and  the  great  power  of  the 
Turk,  and  that  he  held  possession  of  the  whole  of  the 
coasts  of  that  sea,  could  not  have  been  of  much  im- 
portance to  the  advancement  of  his  commercial  pros- 
pects. His  fleet,  therefore,  at  Veronitz  and  on  the 
Don,  on  which  he  had  expended  so  much  money,  had 
now  become  of  little  use.  It  was  not  likely,  however, 
that  a  mind  like  his,  ever  on  the  stretch  in  looking 
out  for  something  new,  and  constantly  employed  on 
one  scheme  or  another  for  the  aggrandizement  of  his 
empire  and  the  benefit  of  his  subjects,  could  long  re- 
main at  rest,  now  that  the  country  was  restored  to  a 
state  of  profound  peace.     It  was  very  natural,  there- 

358 


LIFE  OP  PETER  THE  GREAT.  359 

fore,  that  his  attention  should  be  drawn  towards  the 
Caspian  Sea,  on  which  the  Russians,  under  his  father, 
Alexis  Miehaelovitch,  had  followed,  for  a  time,  with 
some  perseverance,  the  steps  first  pursued  by  the 
English  adventurous  merchants.  This  trade  of  the 
Russians,  however,  had  been  ere  long  annihilated  by 
a  rebellion  of  the  Cossacks  of  the  Don ;  after  which 
the  Persian  commerce  was  chiefly  carried  on  at  As- 
trakhan by  Armenian  merchants. 

An  opportunity  now  offered,  which  the  emperor 
was  not  disposed  to  neglect,  of  renewing  the  inter- 
course with  the  coasts  of  the  Caspian  Sea.  The 
Shah  of  Persia,  Hussein,  who  succeeded  to  the  throne 
in  the  year  1694,  was  an  indolent  and  effeminate 
prince,  who  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  time  in 
the  seclusion  of  the  harem,  while  the  Tartars,  the 
Monguls,  and  Afghans  were  laying  waste  his  prov- 
inces. At  length  the  Afghan  prince,  Meer  Mah- 
moud,  invaded  Persia  on  one  side,  with  an  immense 
army,  while  the  Lesgians,  on  the  other,  descended 
from  the  mountains  of  the  Caucasus,  entered  Shir- 
van,  one  of  its  most  valuable  provinces;  they  pil- 
laged the  whole  country,  and  took  possession  of  the 
city  of  Shamaka,  putting  the  inhabitants  to  the 
sword,  among  whom  were  about  three  hundred  Rus- 
sians, settled  there  in  trade.  Mahmoud'  carried  his 
conquests  to  Ispahan,  and  compelled  the  Shah  to 
declare  him  his  prime  minister,  and  the  protector  of 
Persia. 

Peter  had  therefore   two   powerful   motives   for 


360  Ll^E  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

turning  bis  attention  towards  Persia.  The  first  was 
to  inflict  vengeance  on  the  Lesgians  for  the  pillage 
and  massacre  of  his  subjects  on  the  western  shores 
of  the  Caspian,  and  also  to  demand  satisfaction  of 
the  usurper  Mahmoud,  as  the  ally  of  the  Usbecks, 
who  had  plundered  his  caravan  from  China ;  and  the 
second  was  to  see  how  matters  stood  between  Shah 
Hussein  and  Mahmoud.  But  the  real  and  ultimate 
object  of  his  intended  expedition  was  the  establish- 
ment of  an  advantageous  commerce,  the  aim  and 
end  of  all  his  enterprises.  Peter  sought  not  for  any 
extent  of  dominion.  On  this  very  occasion  he  said 
to  Prince  Cantimir,  who  was  talking  with  him  on 
the  ease  with  which  conquests  were  to  be  made  in 
Persia,  "  It  is  not  land  that  I  want,  but  sea." 

The  Caspian  was  not  unknown  to  Peter.  He  had 
more  than  once  sent  expeditions  to  sound  its  waters 
and  survey  its  coasts;  and  he  had  forwarded  to  the 
Poyal  Academy  of  Sciences,  at  Paris,  a  copy  of  a 
chart  of  these,  made  under  his  directions.  The 
avowed  object  of  the  first  expedition  was  to  dis- 
cover the  mouth  of  the  River  Amu-Darya,  a  branch 
of  the  Oxus,  which  now  falls  into  the  Sea  of  Aral, 
but  which  it  is  intimated  then  fell  into  the  Caspian, 
its  current  having  been  since  turned  by  the  Usbecks. 
Later  discoveries  have  not  confirmed  this,  though  it 
has  been  thought  probable  that  the  shifting  of  the 
sandy  surface  may  have  given  new  directions  to  the 
streams  that  now  fall  into  the  Sea  of  Aral.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  the  Russians  had  orders  to  go  up  towards 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  361 

the  source  of  this  river,  in  order  to  discover  the 
mines  of  gold  said  to  exist  on  its  shores.  It  is  stated 
that  those  who  were  sent  not  only  brought  back  speci- 
mens of  gold,  but  found,  at  a  considerable  distance 
in  the  interior,  a  large  stone  building,  half  buried  in 
sand,  within  which  were  presses  of  a  hard  black 
wood,  containing  nearly  three  thousand  volumes  of 
books,  of  which,  with  great  difficulty,  they  were  al- 
loAved  to  bring  away  three,  the  people  considering 
both  the  building  and  the  books  as  sacred  monu- 
ments. The  sheets  are  stated  to  resemble  the  bark 
of  trees,  the  characters  were  in  horizontal  lines,  but 
whether  they  were  to  be  read  from  right  to  left,  or 
from  left  to  right  no  one  could  tell.  They  were  sup- 
posed to  be  Calmuck  or  Mongul.  The  Czar,  it  seems, 
considered  them  as  a  precious  treasure.  They  found 
also,  in  the  burying-places  of  the  Calmucks,  several 
vSmall  brass  statues,  among  which  were  one  of  a  Ro- 
man general  crowned  with  laurel,  two  figures  of  men 
on  horseback,  with  armor  similar  to  that  worn  in  the 
West  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  several  Indian  and 
Chinese  idols,  all  of  which  the  Czar  placed  in  his 
cabinet.  This  description  applies,  no  doubt,  to  the 
ruins  of  Ourgantz,  situated  on  an  ancient  branch  of 
the  Oxus. 

John  Bell,  of  Antermony,  who  accompanied  Dr. 
Blumentrost,  the  emperor's  chief  physician,  on  the 
present  Persian  expedition,  mentions  a  similar  build- 
ing on  the  banks  of  the  Irtish,  called  Sedmy-palatz, 
or   Seven  Palaces,   several  of  the  rooms  of  which 


362  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

were  filled  with  scrolls  of  glazed  paper,  some  black, 
but  mostly  white,  written  in  the  Calmuck  language. 
Some  of  these  Tartars  stated  that  the  building  was 
erected  by  Tamerlane,  others  by  Gengis-Khan.  The 
Czar  followed  up  the  inquiry  as  to  the  ruins  of  Our- 
gantz,  by  sending  Prince  Bekewitz,  with  a  consider- 
able number  of  troops,  to  visit  the  eastern  shores 
of  the  Caspian,  and  to  open  a  communication  with 
the  inhabitants  of  the  intermediate  country  and 
Bokhara.  The  prince,  after  building  a  fort,  pro- 
ceeded into  the  interior,  where  he  was  arrested  by  the 
natives.  They  carried  him  to  the  encampment  of  the 
khan  of  the  Turcomans,  who  received  him  kindly; 
and  having  suffered  greatly  on  his  way  thither  for 
want  of  water,  he  was  persuaded,  on  his  return,  to 
divide  his  escort  into  small  parties.  When  they  had 
all  departed  except  the  last,  with  whom  was  Beke- 
witz, the  Turcomans  fell  upon  them  and  cut  them 
all  to  pieces.  The  rest  were  murdered  in  detail, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  who  had  been  left  to 
take  charge  of  the  fort. 

The  emperor  had  now,  therefore,  abundant  mo- 
tives for  an  expedition  to  the  Caspian,  of  which  he 
resolved  to  take  the  command  in  person.  He  had 
besides  received  an  insulting  message  from  Mah- 
moud,  to  whom  he  had  sent  an  ambassador,  and  had 
received,  about  the  same  time,  repeated  entreaties 
from  Shah  Hussein,  the  deposed  monarch,  implor- 
ing his  majesty's  aid  against  the  usurper.  His  first 
object  was  to  send  down  the  Volga  to  Astrakhan  as 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  3^3 

many  galleys  and  transports  as  would  carry  30,000 
men. 

John  Bell  relates  that,  when  the  emperor  reached 
Saratoff  on  the  Volga,  he  appointed  an  interview 
with  Ayuka-Khan,  king  of  the  Calmucks,  who  had 
pitched  his  tents  on  the  east  bank  of  that  river. 
Ayuka  and  his  queen  were  invited  to  dine  on  board 
the  emperor's  galley.  He  came  on  horseback,  at- 
tended by  his  two  sons  and  a  troop  of  about  fifty  of 
his  officers,  all  exceedingly  well  mounted.  As  he 
advanced,  the  emperor  went  on  shore,  saluted  him, 
and  taking  him  by  the  hand,  conducted  him  on  board 
the  galley  where  he  introduced  him  to  the  empress, 
who  was  seated  under  an  awning  on  the  quarter- 
deck. The  queen  soon  followed  in  a  covered  wheel- 
machine,  attended  by  her  daughter  and  two  ladies 
and  a  troop  of  horsemen.  The  emperor  went  through 
the  same  ceremony  as  with  the  khan,  and  introduced 
her  to  the  empress.  The  khan  was  a  hearty  and 
cheerful  old  man  about  seventy ;  his  queen  fifty, — of 
a  decent  and  cheerful  deportment.  The  emperor  inti- 
mated that  he  wished  for  ten  thousand  of  his  troops 
to  accompany  him  into  Persia.  The  khan  replied 
that  ten  thousand  were  at  his  service,  but  thought  five 
thousand  would  be  quite  enough  and  less  inconve- 
nient ;  and  he  not  only  gave  orders  for  their  march, 
but  they  joined  the  emperor  on  the  shores  of  the 
Caspian,  at  the  time  and  place  appointed.  "  Thus," 
says  John  Bell,  "  this  treaty  between  two  mighty 
monarchs  was  begun,  carried  on,  and  concluded,  hi 


364  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

less  time  than  is  usually  employed  by  the  pleni- 
potentiaries of  our  western  European  monarchs  in 
taking  dinner."  The  empress  gave  the  queen  a  gold 
repeating-watch  set  with  diamonds,  besides  some 
pieces  of  brocade  and  other  silks  of  value.*  The 
preparations  being  all  ready  at  Astrakhan,  the  expe- 
dition was  joined  by  the  emperor  and  his  consort, 
and  on  the  18th  of  July,  the  army,  consisting  of 
33,000  men  of  those  warlike  veterans,  who  had  been 
engaged  so  long  with  the  Swedes,  embarked  on  board 
two  hundred  and  fifty  galleys,  attended  by  thirty- 
five  store  and  hospital  ships,  under  the  command  of 
Admiral  Apraxim.  On  sailing  down  the  western 
coast,  one  of  the  divisions  lost  sight  of  the  admiral, 
and  was  obliged  to  anchor,  having,  as  Bruce  says, 
"  neither  pilot  nor  compass  on  board ; ''  an  inconve- 
nience, it  seems,  under  which  the  greater  part  of  the 
fleet  labored.  While  at  Bustroff,  his  majesty  re- 
ceived intelligence  from  General  Waterung  that  he 
had  burnt  and  destroyed  the  capital  city  of  the  prov- 
ince, laid  waste  the  whole  country,  and  carried  off 
all  the  inhabitants  that  he  could  meet  with,  old  and 
young,  of  both  sexes,  amounting  to  many  thousands. 
Having  passed  the  island  of  Trenzini,  the  high 
mountains  of  the  Caucasus  opened  out,  appearing  to 
hide  their  heads  in  the  clouds.  On  the  28th  the 
whole  army  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  River  Agre- 

*  Bell's  Travels  in  Russia. — It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that 
Bruce  never  once  mentions  this  highly  respectable  author  and 
countryman  as  having  formed  a  part  of  this  expedition, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  365 

chan,  and  after  much  difficulty  hauled  their  galleys 
up  on  the  shore.  Here  the  Circassian  and  Daghis- 
tan  Tartars  brought  their  little  wagons,  horses, 
camels,  and  oxen  for  sale,  and  knowing  the  necessity 
the  Russians  had  for  them,  they  demanded  six  times 
their  value.  In  their  march  to  the  Sulak,  the  heat 
was  so  intolerable  that  many  of  the  men  dropped  by 
the  way.  ]^or  was  this  all ;  Mr.  Bell  says,  "  that  he 
observed,  among  the  abundance  of  grass,  great 
quantities  of  a  certain  herb,  called  Roman  worm- 
wood, which  the  hungry  horses  greedily  devoured; 
and  next  morning  they  found  about  five  hundred  of 
them  dead,  on  which  the  Calmucks,  who  had  just 
joined  them,  feasted  for  several  days."  Here  the 
chief  of  the  Daghistan  Tartars  welcomed  his  impe- 
rial majesty  into  his  territories,  and  promised  him 
all  kinds  of  assistance  and  refreshments  for  the  army. 
Such  quantities  of  grapes,  melons,  pomegranates,  and 
other  fruits  were  brought  to  the  camp,  and  devoured 
by  the  men  so  voraciously,  as  to  bring  on  fevers 
and  fluxes.  General  Waterung  here  joined  the 
army,  bringing  with  him  the  chief  of  Andreof,  whom 
the  emperor  ordered  to  be  hanged  the  same  day. 
This  gave  such  offence  to  the  people  of  Daghistan, 
that  they  determined  to  make  reprisals  on  the  Rus- 
sians. 

Accordingly,  numbers  of  armed  men  on  horseback 
were  now  seen  moving  along  the  skirts  of  the  moun- 
tains. The  Czar,  riding  along  the  guards,  asked  the 
men  if  their  muskets  were  loaded;  being  answered 


CCG  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

in  the  negative,  lie  gave  orders  to  load  and  sum- 
moned the  officers  of  his  division  to  assemble  at  the 
head  of  the  grenadier  company,  '"''  where,"  says 
Bruce,  "  he  reprimanded  us  severely  for  neglect  of 
duty;  our  svt^ords  vi^ere  taken  from  us  and  put  into  a 
wagon;  the  field  officers  were  ordered  to  march  on 
foot  in  one  rank,  the  captains  formed  in  three  ranks 
behind  them,  and  every  officer  was  loaded  with  four 
heavy  muskets  on  his  shoulders.  In  this  posture  we 
marched  nearly  two  hours,  in  the  most  intolerable 
heat,  when  the  empress,  being  informed  of  our 
miserable  situation,  came  up  in  her  chariot  with  the 
utmost  haste,  and  pleaded  so  effectually  in  our  fa- 
vor, that  we  were  released  from  our  heavy  burdens, 
had  our  swords  restored,  and  were  admitted  to  kiss 
his  majesty's  hand;  who  told  us  that  he  had  only 
punished  the  officers  of  his  own  guards,  because  they 
ought  to  give  a  good  example  to  all  the  rest  of  the 
army."  * 

It  is  admitted  that  Peter  never  spared  himself  in 
this  campaign.  During  the  march,  he  rode  generally 
an  English  pad,  about  fourteen  hands  high,  for  which 
he  had  a  particular  liking,  as  it  was  very  tractable 
and  easy  to  mount;  but  he  very  often  walked.  His 
dress,  when  on  a  march,  was  a  white  nightcap,  with 
a  plain  flapped  hat  over  it,  and  a  short  dimity  waist- 
coat; but  when  any  deputation  or  chieftain  waited 
on  him,  he  always  received  them  in  his  regimentals, 

*  Bruce's  Memoirs. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  367 

as  colonel  of  the  guards.  His  abstemiousness  was 
proverbial.  Mr.  Bell  says,  "  about  midnight,  after 
a  harassing  day  among  the  hostile  mountaineers,  I 
went  into  the  tent  of  Mr.  Felt  on,  his  majesty's 
principal  cook,  where  he  was  alone  with  a  large 
saucepan  of  warm  grout  before  him,  made  of  buck- 
wheat with  butter,  which  he  told  me  was  the  re- 
mains of  their  majesties'  supper,  who  ate  of  nothing 
else  that  evening,  and  who  were  just  gone  to  bed."" 

At  Tarku,  the  principal  city  of  Daghistan,  Captain 
Bruce  says,  "  the  ladies  are  incomparably  beautiful, 
both  in  feature  and  shape.  A  great  number  of  those 
of  the  highest  rank  and  fashion  paid  a  visit  to  her 
majesty  in  her  tent,  where  they  squatted  themselves 
down  on  their  Persian  carpets  cross-legged.  Cath- 
arine, with  her  usual  kindness,  desired  that  the  offi- 
cers should  be  admitted  to  see  the  ladies,  so  that 
when  one  set  had  gratified  their  curiosity  they  should 
retire  and  make  way  for  others.  The  visit  was  pro- 
longed till  late,  when  these  fair  females  got  into  their 
close  carriages,  and  were  escorted  back  by  torch- 
light." 

At  Baku  and  Derbent  his  majesty  was  greeted  by 
the  governors  and  the  principal  citizens,  the  latter 
of  whom  presented  him  with  the  keys  of  their  city, 
offering  to  admit  his  troops  into  the  citadel  to  gar- 
rison it  for  the  protection  of  the  place,  which  had 
long  defended  itself  against  the  arms  of  the  usurper 

*  Bell's  Travels. 


368  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Mahmoud.  Thirteen  provision-ships  from  Astrakhan 
arrived  at  a  place  ten  or  twelve  miles  to  the  south- 
ward of  Derbent,  when  a  furious  storm  arose,  which 
drove  ashore  and  beat  to  pieces  the  whole  of  them, 
burying  them  entirely  in  the  sand ;  but  the  men  were 
all  saved. 

While  the  Czar  remained  at  Derbent  he  received 
several  messages, — some  from  the  Sophi  of  Persia, 
some  from  the  Georgians,  and  others  from  the 
inhabitants  of  Shamaka,  Baku,  and  Resht,  all 
imploring  him  to  march  with  his  army  against  the 
usurper,  and  offering  to  give  up  their  several  cities 
to  him.  Just,  however,  as  the  army  was  on  the 
point  of  marching  to  the  south,  a  Turkish  envoy 
arrived  at  the  camp,  giving  information  that  the 
Grand  Seignior,  his  master,  had  taken  possession 
of  Shamaka,  and  that  the  Porte  was  surprised  his 
majesty  should  invade  his  territories  while  peace 
subsisted  between  them;  the  preservation  of  which 
rendered  it  absolutely  necessary  that  he  should  im- 
mediately withdraw  his  army  from  that  district. 
There  was  some  justice  in  this;  and  the  emperor, 
who  appears  not  to  have  weighed  well  this  matter 
when  he  undertook  the  expedition,  now  saw  and 
admitted  tliat  the  Turk  had  reason  to  complain ;  and 
what  was  perhaps  of  greater  moment  to  himself,  he 
considered  how  rash  and  impolitic  it  would  be  to 
commence  a  war  with  this  powerful  neighbor,  at  a 
moment  when  he  was  at  so  great  a  distance  from 
his  own  country  with  the  flower  of  his  army:  he 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  369 

resolved  therefore  to  trace  backward  his  steps  forth- 
with, recommending  the  provinces  oppressed  by  the 
usurper  to  put  themselves  under  the  protection  of 
the  Turks. 

He  was  unwilling,  however,  that  this  costly  expe- 
dition- should  be  thought  nugatory ;  and,  therefore, 
on  the  return  of  the  army,  he  ordered  a  strong 
fortress  and  town  to  be  erected  at  a  point  where 
the  Agrechan  and  Sulak  divide  their  waters,  to 
which  he  gave  the  name  of  Swetago-Krest,  or  Holy 
Cross;  and  this  fortress  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
future  progress  of  the  Russians  on  the  northern  side 
of  the  Caucasian  mountains. 

'Nor  did  the  failure  of  this  expedition  induce  P6ter 
the  Great  to  give  up  his  views  on  the  Caspian. 
Bruce,  who  had  wintered  at  Tzaritzee  on  the  Volga, 
Avas  ordered,  in  April,  1723,  to  proceed  with  a 
small  force  down  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Caspian, 
and  to  survey  the  gulfs,  harbors,  and  rivers.  They 
circumnavigated  the  whole  of  the  Caspian;  and  on 
their  return  by  the  western  coast  Bruce  visited  the 
new  works  and  town  of  Holy  Cross,  which  had 
increased  in  wooden  houses  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
afford  quarters  for  the  whole  of  their  little  army. 
In  the  spring  of  1724,  Bruce  arrived  at  Moscow,  and 
laid  his  chart  of  the  Caspian  before  his  Majesty,  who 
appeared  to  be  much  pleased  with  what  had  been 
done.* 

*  Bruce's  Memoirs. 

24 


370  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Whenever  the  emperor  had  occasion  to  be  absent 
from  either  of  his  two  capitals  for  any  length  of 
time,  it  would  seem  to  have  been  his  fate,  that  on 
his  return,  the  congratulations  and  rejoicings  of  his 
subjects  should  be  mixed  up  with  some  dreadful  act 
of  severity  on  his  part.  Indeed  the  whole  course  of 
his  life  may  be  said  to  have  been  a  series  of  sudden 
transitions  from  the  opposite  extremes  of  mirth  and 
sorrow;  a  constant  round  of  vicissitudes,  ^vhich,  not 
always  "  happily,^'  compelled  him 

"  To  steer 
From  grave  to  gay,  from  lively  to  severe." 

But,  with  a  vigor  of  mind  and  body  seldom  equaled, 
and  never  perhaps  exceeded,  he  seems  to  have  set 
out,  from  the  moment  he  had  sole  possession  of  the 
throne,  with  a  fixed  determination,  per  fas  et  nefas* 
to  accomplish  one  great  point, — the  regeneration  of 
his  country;  and  this  may  be  considered,  under  all 
the  circumstances,  as  one  of  the  noblest  designs  that 
ever  entered  the  head  or  heart  of  man.  For  this  he 
submitted  to  toil  through  every  condition  of  life, 
however  laborious;  exposed  himself  to  every  hard- 
ship that  the  lowest  of  mankind  are  subject  to, 
whether  by  sea  or  land;  and,  invested  as  he  was 
with  supreme  and  arbitrary  power,  contented  him- 
self to  rise  by  degrees  through  every  subordinate 
rank,  for  the  sake  of  example  to  others.     It  is  not 


#  " 


Through  right  and  wron^. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  371 

surprising,  then,  however  much  it  is  to  be  lamented, 
that  he  was  sometimes  driven  to  acts  of  great  se- 
verity. 

On  the  present  occasion  of  his  return  to  Moscow, 
several  offenders  of  high  rank,  in  official  situations, 
were  brought  to  trial  before  a  competent  tribunal, 
and  were  sentenced  to  undergo  various  punishments, 
— the  knout,  the  battogues,  fine,  and  imprisonment. 
Among  the  delinquents  was  one  whom  the  emperor 
could  have  least  suspected,  and  whose  conduct  gave 
him  the  greatest  pain ;  a  man  whom  his  majesty  had 
raised,  for  his  merit  and  superior  talent,  from  the 
humble  situation  of  a  clerk  in  chancery,  to  be  his 
vice-chancellor  and  prime  minister,— the  Baron 
Schaffiroff.  Five  different  charges  were  exhibited 
against  him. — 1.  That  he  had  conferred  on  his 
brother  a  title  and  appointment,  unknown  to  the  em- 
peror and  the  senate.  2.  That  he  had  signed  and 
issued  certain  orders  and  instruments  unknown 
to  the  senate,  and  without  having  them  registered. 
3.  That  in  his  capacity  of  the  posts,  he  had,  of  his 
own  authority,  increased  the  postage  of  letters,  and 
kept  the  money  to  himself.  4.  That  he  had  con- 
cealed two  hundred  thousand  ducats  in  specie,  and 
to  the  value  of  seventy  thousand  more  in  jewels, 
belonging  to  Prince  Gagarin,  although  he  himself 
had  signed  the  order  of  the  emperor,  commanding 
every  one  who  knew  anything  of  the  effects  of  that 
criminal  to  make  discovery  of  them.  5.  That  he 
had  used  opprobrious  language  to  some  of  the  sen- 


872  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

ators,  in  full  senate,  which  was  forbidden  on  pain  of 
death. 

Being  found  guilty  of  these  charges,  he  was  sen- 
tenced to  be  beheaded.  On  the  evening  preceding 
the  day  of  execution,  public  notice  of  it  w^as  pro- 
claimed by  sound  of  trumpet;  in  consequence  of 
which  an  immense  crowd  was  assembled  the  follow- 
ing morning  before  the  senate-house,  when  Baron 
Schaffiroff  was  led  to  the  scaffold,  accompanied  by 
two  priests,  who  had  been  preparing  him  for  death. 
His  sentence  was  read  aloud,  which  he  heard  with 
great  resignation ;  and  having  laid  his  head  on  the 
block,  the  instant  the  executioner  lifted  up  the  axe, 
a  herald  cried  out,  ^'  Mercy  to  the  criminal  for  his 
life,  by  command  of  his  imperial  majesty."  On 
this  he  was  removed  from  the  scaffold  and  taken 
back  to  the  prison  of  Preobrazenski.  The  emperor, 
in  consideration  of  his  past  services,  commuted  his 
sentence  of  death  for  that  of  perpetual  banishment 
into  Siberia,  with  confiscation  of  all  his  property. 

Delinquencies  of  this  kind,  ccmimitted  by  his 
trusty  servants,  occasioned  great  annoyance  to  the 
emperor,  who,  however,  rarely  interfered  with  the 
sentence  of  the  proper  tribunal.  In  the  present  in- 
stance, the  punishment  was  understood  to  have  been 
commuted  at  the  solicitation  of  Catharine,  who  en- 
tertained a  high  respect  for  Schaffiroff,  a  strong  proof 
of  which  she  gave  by  recalling  him  from  banishment 
after  the  death  of  the  emperor.  He  was,  in  fact, 
her  principal  agent  in  the  business  of  the  Pruth, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  373 

Mr.  Bell,  who  claims  for  himself,  what  has  uni- 
versally been  ceded  to  him,  the  right  of  being  be- 
lieved, on  the  ground  that  he  shall  say  nothing  of 
fact  but  what  is  true,  nor  anything  of  opinion  but 
what  is  sincere — Mr.  Bell  says,  that  ^^  several  foreign 
writers  have  misrepresented  and  traduced  the  real 
character  of  Peter  the  Great,  by  relating  mean 
stories,  most  of  them  without  the  least  ground  of 
truth,  whereby  many  people  of  good  understanding 
have  been  misled,  and  even  to  this  present  time  look 
on  him  to  have  been  a  vicious  man,  and  a  cruel 
tyrant,  than  which  nothing  could  be  more  the  reverse 
of  his  true  character."  He  adds  that,  many  years 
after  his  death,  he  has  heard  officers  talk  of  their 
old  father  Peter  the  Great,  yet  he  never  heard  one 
of  them  produce  a  single  instance  of  his  having  pun- 
ished an  honest  man,  or  practised  severity  on  any 
one  that  had  not  deserved  it.* 

In  the  month  of  March,  1723,  the  emperor  set  out 
for  St.  Petersburg,  whither  the  empress  and  the 
whole  court  followed.  He  had  sent  notice  to  the 
clergy  there,  previous  to  his  setting  out,  that  he  had 
heard  of  their  treatment  of,  and  disputes  with,  the 
members  of  the  reformed  church  who  had  been  en- 
couraged to  settle  in  that  capital.  He  told  them  that 
he  expected  not  to  be  troubled  with  any  grievances 
or  complaints  on  that  score  after  his  arrival;  and 
that  they  must  know  he  considered  all  the  Protestant 

*  Bell's  travels. 


374  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

families  equally  entitled  to  his  protection  and  benev- 
olence with  themselves. 

The  emperor  had  just  now  a  double  motive  for 
visiting  St.  Petersburg :  the  one  was  to  found  an  Im- 
perial Academy  of  Sciences;  the  other  to  erect  a 
memorial  to  the  Russian  people  of  the  benefits  which 
the  nation  had  acquired  by  the  establishment  of  a 
navy.  Peter  had,  no  doubt,  during  his  travels,  ob- 
served the  advantage  of  public  societies  for  the  pro- 
motion of  literature,  and  more  particularly  had  in 
his  mind  the  Academic  des  Sciences  of  Paris,  of 
which  he  was  a  member.  He  drew^  the  plan  of  it 
himself,  which  was  signed  in  February,  1724,  but 
did  not  live  to  carry  it  into  execution.  His  decease, 
however,  did  not  prevent  its  completion;  which  was 
left  to  the  Empress  Catharine,  who,  on  the  1st  of 
August,  1726,  honored  the  meeting  with  her  pres- 
ence, when  Professor  Bulfinger,  an  eminent  Ger- 
man naturalist,  pronounced  an  oration  on  the  ad- 
vances made  by  means  of  the  loadstone  and  needle 
for  the  discovery  of  the  longitude.  The  empress  set- 
tled an  annual  fund  of  $25,000  for  the  support  of 
the  academy;  and  fifteen  members,  eminent  for 
learning  and  talents,  were  admitted  and  pensioned 
under  the  title  of  "  professors "  in  the  various 
branches  of  literature  and  science.  It  w^as  strongly 
patronized  in  the  reigns  of  Anne  and  Elizabeth,  and 
Catharine  II.  fixed  it  on  a  durable  basis.  Expedi- 
tions were  sent  out  to  every  part  of  the  world,  but 
to  Asia  in  particular.     "  In  consequence  of  which," 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  375 

says  a  recent  writer,  "  perhaps  no  conntry  can  boast, 
within  the  period  of  a  few  years,  such  a  number  of 
excellent  publications  on  its  internal  state,  natural 
productions,  topography,  geography,  and  history, — 
on  the  manners,  customs,  and  languages  of  the  dif- 
ferent people, — as  have  issued  from  the  press  of 
the  academy."  * 

The  next  object  that  engaged  the  emperor's  atten- 
tion, as  may  be  readily  conceived,  was  the  state  of 
the  dock-yards  and  his  ships  of  war;  and,  after 
selecting  a  certain  number  to  be  kept  in  commis- 
sion for  practising  his  seamen  in  the  summer  months, 
as  well  as  to  awe  the  Danes  and  Swedes,  he  laid  down 
regulations  for  preserving  the  rest  of  his  fleet  in  a 
state  of  ordinary.  After  this  he  went  down  to  Cron- 
stadt,  hoisted  his  flag,  and  set  sail,  with  the  osten- 
sible view  of  threatening  Denmark,  who  had  refused 
to  acknowledge  his  title  of  emperor,  and  to  compel 
her  to  relinquish  the  8ound  duties  on  Russian  ves- 
sels, and  also  to  restore  to  the  Duke  of  Holstein  his 
possessions,  which  had  been  seized  in  the  course  of  the 
war;  but  the  real  object  was  nothing  more  than  that 
of  exercising  his  fleet  in  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  from 
which  service  he  returned  to  St.  Petersburg  on  the 
8th  August. 

"  Nothing  is  too  little  to  a  great  man."  In  any 
other  sovereign  than  Peter  the  Great,  several  of  his 
actions  would  be  set  do^\ra  as  frivolous  whims,  child- 

*  Coxe's  Travels. 


376  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAt. 

ish  diversions,  and  ludicrous  absurdities;  and  even 
in  him  they  might  so  be  considered,  if  the  whole 
tenor  of  his  life  did  not  prove  that  he  had  a  salutary 
motive  in  every  thing  of  this  kind  which  he  put 
in  practise.  Of  this  he  now  gave  a  striking  in- 
stance. 

It  may  be  recollected,  as  mentioned  in  the  early 
part  of  this  Memoir,  that  the  first  boat  in  which 
Peter  set  his  foot  was  a  little  skiff  he  had  accident- 
ally cast  his  eye  upon,  in  the  river  Yausa  at  Mos- 
cow, and  the  first  of  the  kind  that  was  built  in  Rus- 
sia, by  a  Dutch  shipwright  of  the  name  of  Brandt; 
that,  having  acquired  the  management  of  this  boat, 
he  ordered  Brandt  to  build  him  a  larger,  and  thus 
proceeding  from  step  to  step,  he  went  on  building 
larger  and  larger  until  he  had  acquired  a  formidable 
navy  of  ships  of  the  line.  This  first  little  boat  was 
cherished  with  great  care  at  Moscow,  and  was  named 
by  Peter  the  "  Little  Grandsire."  It  was  now  trans- 
ported from  Moscow  to  his  new  capital,  as  the  more 
appropriate  place  for  its  future  preservation.  And 
in  order  to  signalize  the  event  of  laying  it  up,  as 
a  monument. to  posterity,  which  might  remind  the 
Russian  people  from  what  a  small  beginning  great 
things  were  capable  of  being  accomplished,  even  in 
the  short  space  of  one  man's  life,  he  availed  himself 
of  the  occasion  to  give  a  grand  public  entertainment, 
to  which  all  the  court  and  foreign  ministers  were 
invited  and  to  be  present  at  The  consecration  of  the 
Little  Grandsire.    This  little  skiff,  decorated  for  the 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.       'S71 

occasion,  was  sent  down  to  Cronstadt  on  the  deck  of 
one  of  the  emperor's  galleys.  Twenty-seven  sail  of 
ships  of  war  being  anchored  in  the  form  of  a  cres- 
cent, the  emperor  embarked  in  this  boat,  as  steers- 
man, while  Prince  Menzikoff  and  three  admirals  per- 
formed the  office  of  rowers.  It  was  first  towed  out  by 
two  yachts,  and  made  a  small  circuit  in  the  gulf ;  and 
on  returning  to  the  view  of  the  fleet,  all  the  ships 
saluted  with  all  their  guns,  to  the  number,  as  stated 
in  one  account,  of  three  thousand;  and  on  rowing 
along  the  ccHicave  line  of  the  fleet,  every  ship  in  suc- 
cession struck  its  colors  and  fired  a  salute,  which  was 
answered  by  the  little  skiff  by  firing  three  small  brass 
guns  to  each  ship.  It  was  then  rowed  into  the  har- 
bor and  a  few  days  afterward  was  sent  up  to  St. 
Petersburg,  where  its  arrival  w^as  solemnized  by  a 
grant  fete  and  masquerade  upon  the  water. 

This  memorable  little  boat  of  four  oars  is  still  held 
in  great  veneration,  and  carefully  preserved  in*  a 
small  brick  building  within  the  fortress,  as  a  me- 
morial to  future  ages  of  its  being  the  origin  of  the 
Russian  navy.  The  consecration  of  the  Little 
Grandsire,  and  the  solemn  procession  by  which  it 
was  afterward  conveyed  to  the  fortress,  were  well 
calculated  to  excite  the  admiration  of  the  people; 
and  by  its  being  carefully  kept,  but  always  exposed 
to  view,  to  remind  them  of  the  condition  in  which 
Peter  found  their  marine,  and  the  proud  state  in 
which  he  left  it.  At  this  time  the  fleet,  which  Peter 
may  be  said  to  have  left  as  a  legacy  to  the  Russian 


378  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

nation,  consisted,  according  to  the  returns  of  the  ad- 
miralty, of  forty-one  ships  of  the  line,  in  a  condi- 
tion for  service  at  sea,  carrying  two  thousand  one 
hundred  and  six  guns,  manned  with  fourteen  thou- 
sand nine  hundred  seamen,  besides  a  proportionate 
number  of  frigates,  galleys,  and  other  smaller  craft.* 

*  Scheltema, 


CHAPTEE  XY. 

The  Coronation  of  Catharine — Sickness  and  Death  of  Peter 
the  Great — His  Character  and  Epitaph. 

Peter  the  Great,  being  now  at  peace  with  all  the 
world,  determined  to  give  to  his  people  a  signal 
proof  of  his  affection  and  gratitude  for  his  beloved 
consort  Catharine,  by  causing  her  to  be  solemnly 
crowned  as  empress,  in  the  ancient  city  of  Moscow 
— a  public  mark  of  esteem,  which  the  whole  nation 
was  ready  to  acknowledge  as  her  due :  for  what- 
ever opinions  many  of  the  old  nobility  and  the 
clergy,  who  adhered  to  ancient  usages,  might  enter- 
tain of  the  emperor's  innovations,  the  conduct  of 
Catharine,  under  every  circumstance  of  her  life,  had 
gained  for  her  universal  esteem.  It  was  the  custom 
of  Peter,  whenever  he  was  about  to  undertake  any 
great  measure,  to  assign  his  reasons  for  it  in  a 
public  manifesto.  That  which  he  issued  on  the  pres- 
ent occasion  sets  out  with  stating,  what  he  observes 
no  one  can  be  ignorant  of,  that  the  custom  of  crown- 
ing their  spouses  was  common  among  many  Chris- 
tian monarchs  of  the  true  Greek  religion  for  ages 
past ;  and  he  cites  several  instances  in  which  it  was 
done.  He  then  observes,  it  is  well  known  how 
much  he  has  exposed  his  own  person  and  faced  the 

379 


380  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

most  imminent  dangers  for  the  sake  of  his  clear 
country,  in  the  course  of  a  war  of  twenty  years' 
duration,  which,  by  the  help  of  God,  had  now  ter- 
minated in  a  manner  honorable,  glorious,  and  ad- 
vantageous for  the  Russian  empire.  And  he  then 
goes  on  to  say,  ''  the  empress  Catharine,  our  dearest 
consort,  was  an  important  help  to  us  in  all  these 
dangers,  not  in  war  alone,  but  in  other  expeditions, 
in  which  she  voluntarily  accompanied  us,  serving  us 
with  her  able  counsel,  notwithstanding  the  natural 
weakness  of  her  sex ;  more  particularly  at  the  battle 
of  the  Pruth,  where  our  army  was  reduced  to 
twenty- two  thousand  men,  while  the  Turks  were 
two  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  strong.  It  was 
in  this  desperate  circumstance,  above  all  others, 
that  she  signalized  her  zeal,  by  a  courage  superior 
to  her  sex,  as  is  well  known  to  the  whole  army 
throughout  the  empire.  For  these  reasons,  and  in 
virtue  of  that  power  which  God  has  given  us,  we 
are  resolved  to  honor  our  spouse  with  the  imperial 
crown,  in  acknowledgment  for  all  her  services  and 
fatigues. ' ' 

Magnilicent  preparations  were  ordered  to  be  made 
at  Moscow  for  this  grand  and  imposing  ceremony. 
The  foreign  ministers  were  all  invited  to  be  present ; 
and  orders  were  given  that  all  necessary  prepara- 
tions should  be  made  for  the  conveyance  of  them- 
selves and  their  establishments  from  St.  Petersburg 
to  Moscow.  The  Duchess  of  Courland,  daughter  of 
Peter's  elder  brother,  and  the   Duke  of  Holstein, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  381 

his  intended  son-in-law,  were  present  at  the  cere- 
mony. 

From  the  descriptions  that  are  given  in  detail,  by 
various  writers,  nothing  could  exceed  the  magnifi- 
cence and  splendor  that  appeared  in  the  two  cathe- 
drals, and  the  richness  of  the  dresses  and  the  whole 
paraphernalia  that  were  exhibited  in  the  proces- 
sions. When  the  assembly  were  all  in  their  places 
in  the  grand  cathedral,  the  Archbishop  of  InTovo- 
gorod,  advancing  towards  the  empress,  requested 
her  to  repeat  aloud  the  creed  of  the  orthodox  faith,  in 
the  presence  of  her  loyal  subjects,  which  being  done, 
she  knelt  on  a  cushion,  and  received  the  archbishop's 
benediction,  who  consecrated  her  with  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  and  laying  his  hands  on  her,  recited  a  prayer 
in  which  he  says,  ' '  Look  down  from  thy  holy  dwell- 
ing-place on  high,  and  render  worthy  of  thy  sacred 
unction  our  great  and  orthodox  Empress  Catharine 
Alexowna,  whom  thou  hast  chosen  to  be  the  sov- 
ereign lady  and  ruler  over  thy  j)eople,  and  whom 
thou  hast  redeemed  by  the  precious  blood  of  thy 
only  Son.  Invest  her  with  power ;  crown  her  with 
a  precious  diadem;  grant  her  long  life;  put  the 
scepter  of  salvation  into  her  hands ;  place  her  on 
the  throne  of  justice ;  defend  her  with  the  armor  of 
the  Holy  Spirit ;  make  her  arm  strong ;  put  all  in- 
fidel nations  under  her  dominion ;  let  her  heart  be 
always  inclined  to  fear  thee,  and  her  will  be  always 
obedient  to  thine ;  let  her  judge  thy  people  right- 
eously, do  justice  to  the  afflicted,  relieve  the  chil- 


382  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

dren  of  the  poor ;  and  let  her  at  last  obtain  thy 
heavenly  kingdom." 

In  the  course  of  the  ceremony,  Peter  himself 
robed  Catharine  in  the  imperial  mantle,  and  placed 
the  crown  on  her  head ;  and  when  she  would  have 
fallen  on  her  knees  he  raised  her ;  and  at  the  con- 
clusion the  scepter  and  globe  were  carried  before 
her.  In  the  procession  to  the  cathedral  the  emperor 
walked  before  her  on  foot,  as  captain  of  a  new  com- 
pany, which  he  expressly  created  on  that  occasion, 
with  the  name  of  the  Knights  of  the  Empress.  The 
dresses  of  this  comj)any  of  knights  are  described  by 
Bruce  as  most  splendid.  In  proceeding  to  the  second 
cathedral,  Prince  Menzikoff  walked  immediately  be- 
hind the  empress,  supported  by  two  officers  of  state, 
each  carrying  a  splendid  purse  containing  medals  of 
gold  and  silver,  which  the  prince  scattered  among 
the  people.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremony  a 
grand  entertainment  was  served  up ;  and  balls,  mas- 
querades, fireworks  and  illuminations  were  continued 
for  three  days. 

In  commemoration  of  this  event,  the  emperor  re- 
solved on  a  promotion  in  the  army  and  navy ;  and 
though  his  selection  had  hitherto  always  been  made 
solely  for  merit,  and  had  answered  well,  on  this  oc- 
casion, for  the  first  time^  he  wished  to  have  the  opin- 
ion of  the  officers  on  the  subjects  of  his  choice,  to 
be  declared  by  a  species  of  ballot.  The  first  on  his 
list  was  Brigadier  Knees  Usupof,  a  major  in  the 
guards,  for  promotion  to  the  rank  of  major-general. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  383 

The  officers  of  his  regiment  entitled  to  ballot  were 
84 ;  each  had  three  balls,  one  for  or  deserving,  the 
second  against  or  undeserving,  and  the  third  indi- 
cating incapacity.  The  result  was,  for  the  first,  23 ; 
for  the  second,  32 ;  and  for  the  third,  29.  His 
majesty  was  utterly  confounded,  as  everybody  knew 
the  major  to  be  a  most  able  and  gallant  officer ;  but 
the  result  determined  him  to  think  no  more  of  that 
hypocritical  system  of  balloting,  being  satisfied,  no 
doubt,  as  every  honest  man  must  be,  that  it  only  af- 
fords the  covert  and  cowardly  means  of  gratifying, 
and  carrying  into  practical  effect,  feelings  of  envy, 
hatred,  and  malice,  without  the  risk  of  detection. 

In  the  same  year  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
the  emperor's  eldest  daughter  Anne  Petrowna  with 
the  Duke  of  Holstein  Gottorp, — a  ' '  princess, ' '  says 
Coxe,  citing  Bassewitz,  ' '  of  majestic  form  and  ex- 
pressive features,  of  an  excellent  and  improved  un- 
derstanding, and  of  irreproachable  morals. — While 
she  was  very  young.  Count  Apraxin,  a  Russian  no- 
bleman, paid  his  addresses  to  her,  but  was  rejected 
with  scorn.  Not  daunted  with  this  repulse,  he  con- 
tinued his  courtship,  and,  finding  her  one  day  alone, 
threw  himself  at  her  feet,  offered  his  sword,  and 
entreated  her  to  put  an  end  to  his  life  and  misery. 
'  Give  me  the  sword, '  said  the  princess,  stretching 
out  her  hand,  '  you  shall  see  that  the  daughter  of 
your  emperor  has  strength  and  spirit  sufficient  to  rid 
herself  of  a  wretch  who  insults  her. '  The  count, 
apprehending  that  she   might  execute  her  threat, 


384  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

withdrew  the  sword,  and  demanded  instant  pardon; 
and  as  the  princess  told  the  story  with  great  humor, 
he  became  the  derision  of  the  court."* 

The  rejoicings  being  finished  which  took  place  on 
this  occasion,  the  emperor  and  court  repaired  to  St, 
Petersburg.  The  emperor's  health  had  for  some 
time  been  giving  way :  he  had  a  strangury  in  the 
neck  of  the  bladder,  which  he  concealed  from  his 
medical  attendants,  till  in  the  summer  of  1724  the 
symptoms  became  dangerous  and  attended  with 
insupportable  pain.  When  at  length  Dr.  Bloumen- 
trost  was  made  acquainted  with  the  case,  he  saw  at 
once  the  danger,  and  sent  express  for  Dr.  Bedloo, 
a  celebrated  physician  of  Moscow ;  and  Mr.  Horn, 
an  English  surgeon,  was  called  in  to  make  use  of 
the  catheter.  Peter,  in  this  condition,  was  pre- 
vailed on  to  keep  his  room  for  nearly  four  months, 
after  which,  finding  the  pain  abated  and  his  strength 
increased,  he  gave  orders  for  his  yacht  to  be  made 
ready  and  brought  up  the  Keva  opposite  to  his 
palace.  He  then  acquainted  Dr.  Bloumentrost  that 
he  meant  to  go  up  to  Schlusselburg,  and  visit  the 
works  on  lake  Ladoga,  and  ordered  him  to  attend 
him.  The  doctor  remonstrated  in  the  strongest 
terms  against  such  an  imprudent  step,  but  Peter  was 
resolved;  and  the  doctor,  with  Mr.  Paulson  the 
surgeon,  and  Liphold  the  apothecary,  embarked  to 
attend  him.  The  voyage  commenced  the  beginning 
of  October,  and  continued  till  the  5th  of  November, 

♦  Coxe's  Travels  in  Russia. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  386 

not  without  occasional  symptoms  of  his  complaint 
returning. 

Feeling  himself  well  enough  to  remain  on  the 
water,  and  the  weather  continuing  fine,  instead  of 
landing,  he  proceeded  to  Lachta,  on  the  Gulf  of 
Finland.  He  had  scarcely  anchored  in  port,  when 
a  boat  full  of  soldiers  and  sailors  was  seen  to  be 
dashed  on  the  rocks  by  the  violence  of  the  weaves. 
Peter  ordered  out  one  of  the  small  vessels  to  their 
assistance ;  but,  with  that  ardor  and  impatience  in- 
herent in  his  character,  thinking  the  men  sent  did 
not  sufficiently  exert  themselves,  he  took  to  his 
own  boat,  but  not  being  able  to  advance  near 
enough  on  account  of  a  sand-bank,  he  waded  up  to 
the  knees  in  water  to  get  at  the  boat  that  was 
aground,  and  by  his  able  assistance  effected  the 
safety  of  the  poor  people.  At  night  he  was  seized 
with  a  fever  and  painful  inflammation  of  the  abdo- 
men. He  was  immediately  conveyed  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, was  pronounced  dangerously  ill,  and  from 
that  time  his  old  complaint  made  hasty  progress 
from  day  to  day.  In  the  beginning  of  December 
his  situation  was  so  alarming,  and  the  symptoms  of 
an  inflammation  in  the  intestines  and  bladder  so  evi- 
dent, that  a  gangrene  was  apprehended.  Acute 
and  continual  pain  indicated  the  emperor's  approach- 
ing death,  to  which  he  resigned  himself  with  heroic 
firmness,  and  expired  on  the  28th  January,  1725.* 

*  This  account  is  given  by  Stgehlin,  on  the  authority  of 
25 


386  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

Yoltaire  says,  "  The  burning  heat  within  him 
kept  him  almost  in  a  continual  delirium.  He  was 
once  for  availing  himself  of  a  short  interval  of  ease, 
by  writing;  but  the  letters  were  so  confused  and 
out  of  shape  that,  after  much  difficulty,  only  these 
words  in  the  Russian  language  could  be  deciphered. 

Restore  all  to .     He  called  for  the  princess  Anne 

Petrowna  to  dictate  to  her ;  but  when  she  presented 
herself  before  his  bed,  he  had  lost  the  use  of  his 
speech,  and  soon  after  fell  into  an  agony,  which 
lasted  sixteen  hours." 

This  account  is  taken  from  the  Memoirs  of  Count 
Bassewitz,  the  minister  of  the  Duke  of  Holstein, 
which  is  not  the  only  improbable  story  he  has 
amused  the  world  with  on  the  subject  of  Peter  the 
Great  and  his  family.  This  in  particular  is  obvi- 
ously told,  in  order  to  insinuate  that  the  emperor's 
intention  was  to  nominate  his  daughter  Anne,  the 
count's  mistress,  as  his  successor — Restore  all  to — 
Anne.  Indeed,  this  Holstein  minister  positively  as- 
serts that  Peter  the  Great  had  formed  the  resolution 
of  raising  her  to  the  throne.  In  all  this  there  can 
be  no  great  harm;  it  may  be  true  or  it  may  be 
otherwise ;  but  the  object  of  Count  Bassewitz  was 
to   vilify  Catharine,  and  to  trump  up  a  story  to 

Paulson,  surgeon  to  the  court,  who  died  in  1780,  aged  up- 
wards of  80  years,  and  may  therefore  be  considered  correct ; 
though  it  is  said  in  some  accounts  that  he  caught  his  death 
by  attending  the  ceremony  of  the  "  Benediction  of  the 
waters  of  the  Neva," 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  387 

prove  that  Peter's  affections  were  entirely  alienated 
from  the  empress  some  time  before  his  death. 

The  story,  as  told  by  Bassewitz  and  the  Austrian 
envoy,  is  at  variance  in  many  points.  Catharine, 
we  are  assured,  had  a  handsome  young  chamber- 
lain of  the  name  of  Moens  or  Moens  de  la  Croix, 
whose  sister  Madame  de  Bale,  or  Madame  Balke 
(for  they  are  not  agreed  even  as  to  her  name)  was 
first  lady  of  the  bedchamber  according  to  one,  and 
dresser  according  to  the  other,  to  the  empress.  The 
emperor,  being  suspicious  of  a  secret  connection  be- 
tween Catharine  and  Moens,  left  St.  Petersburg  on 
pretense  of  visiting  a  villa  for  a  few  days,  but  pri- 
vately returned  to  his  winter  palace  in  the  capital ; 
from  hence,  as  the  story  goes,  he  occasionally  sent 
a  confidential  page  with  a  complimentary  message 
to  the  empress,  as  if  he  was  in  the  country,  with 
secret  orders  to  observe  her  motions.  From  this 
page's  information,  the  emperor  discovered  her 
keeping  a  tryst  with  Moens.  Peter  struck  Cath- 
arine with  his  cane,  and  then  retired  without  utter- 
ing a  single  word. 

The  story  would  of  itself  be  utterly  undeserving 
o:^  credit,  even  if  every  act  of  Peter's  life,  and 
every  trait  in  his  character,  did  not  give  it  the  lie. 
That  Peter  the  Great  should  appoint  a  page  to  be 
a  spy  on  his  wife,  and  satisfy  himself  by  tapping 
her  on  the  shoulder  with  his  cane,  would  be  to  con- 
vert the  most  determined  man  in  the  empire  into  a 
mere  Jerry  Sneak.     Then    indeed  might  it  with 


3S8  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

sorrow  be  said,  ''  How  are  the  mighty  fallen  !  " 
Had  any  such  discovery  taken  place,  it  will  scarcely 
be  doubted  that,  judging  from  his  hasty  and  pas- 
sionate character  operating  on  his  infirmities,  he 
would  either  have  been  thrown  into  a  fit  of  cata- 
lepsy, or  have  run  all  concerned  through  the  body 
in  as  many  seconds.  Yoltaire's  account  of  the  only 
transaction  which  could  have  given  the  slightest 
color  to  the  calumny,  is  as  follows ;  ' '  These  two 
persons  ' '  (the  Moenses),  he  says,  ' '  might  be  said 
to  govern  the  empress's  household;  an  accusation 
was  brought  against  them  for  receiving  presents, 
and  they  were  imprisoned  and  brought  to  trial ;  ' ' 
he  adds  that  "  a  prohibition  had  been  issued,  so 
long  ago  as  1714,  forbidding  all  persons  in  public 
employments  to  take  presents,  under  penalty  of  in- 
famy and  death ;  and  that  this  prohibition  had  been 
several  times  renewed.  The  brother  and  sister 
were  convicted ;  and  all  who  had  either  purchased 
or  rewarded  their  services,  were  named  in  the  sen- 
tence, except  the  Duke  of  Ilolstein  and  his  minister 
Count  Bassewitz !  ^^  ''Perhaps,"  observes  Vol- 
taire, "  the  presents  which  this  prince  made  to  those 
who  had  contributed  to  bring  about  his  marriage 
were  not  looked  on  as  criminal. ' '  Moens  Avas  sen- 
tenced to  be  beheaded,  and  his  sister  to  receive 
eleven  strokes  with  the  knout:  her  two  sons,  a 
chamberlain,  and  a  page,  were  degraded  and  sent  to 
the  army  in  Persia,  as  common  soldiers.* 
*  When  Mods  was  examined  by  Peter,  and  threatened  with 


LIFE  OP  PETER  THE  GREAT.  38^ 

Voltaire  adds,  ' '  However  shocking  these  severi- 
ties appear  to  us,  they  were  perhaps  necessary  in  a 
country  where  the  support  of  the  laws  seems  to  re- 
quire a  tremendous  rigor.  The  empress  interceded 
for  the  lady's  pardon,  which  the  emperor  refused, 
and  was  so  offended  at  the  request,  that,  striking  a 
Venetian  pier  glass,  he  said  to  his  consort,  ^  Thou 
seest  that  one  blow  of  my  hand  can  reduce  that 
glass  to  the  dust  whence  it  came. '  Catharine,  with 
a  look  of  submissive  grief,  said,  '  Well,  you  have 
broken  one  of  the  most  valuable  ornaments  of  your 
palace,  and  do  you  think  it  will  make  it  the  finer  ? ' 
and  these  words,  with  the  air  which  accompanied 
them,  appeased  the  emperor.  Yet  all  the  favor 
which  his  consort  could  obtain  was,  that  her  dresser 
should  receive  only  five  strokes  instead  of  eleven." 
Now  who  is  it  from  whom  this  story  originates  ? — 
M.  Basse witz ;  and  Voltaire  adds,  ' '  This  is  a  fact 
which  I  should  not  relate  were  it  not  attested  by  a 
minister,  who  was  an  eyewitness,  and  who,  by  his 
presents  to  the  brother  and  sister,  perhaps  contrib- 
uted chiefly  to  their  misfortune. "  ^     It  would  be 

torture,  he  confessed  that  he  had  embezzled  the  revenues  of 
several  of  the  estates  of  Catharine,  and  that  he  had  taken  a 
bribe  from  a  person  for  whom  he  promised  to  secure  the 
position  of  a  groom  of  the  empress.  When  the  Czar  issued 
a  proclamation  ordering  every  one  who  had  ever  given  Mons 
a  bribe,  or  knew  of  a  bribe  being  given  to  him,  there  was  a 
surprisingly  large  number  of  answers.  The  sister  of  Mons, 
Madame  Balke,  was  also  deeply  involved  in  these  financial 
corruptions. 
*  "Voltaire. 


390  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

useless  now  to  inquire  into  the  truth  of  a  story  so 
highly  improbable ;  but  Yoltaire  seems  to  believe  it, 
because  it  is  told  by  one  who  says  he  was  an  eye- 
witness ;  but,  supposing  it  to  be  true,  what  would 
be  the  inference  ?  why,  that  the  whole  story  was  a 
malicious  and  ' '  viperous  slander, ' '  and  that  Cathar- 
ine was  not  only  wholly  innocent,  but  utterly  uncon- 
scious of  the  breath  of  suspicion  having  soiled  her 
fair  fame.  It  would  prove,  first,  that  a  hmid  fide 
trial  had  taken  place  of  the  two  delinquents  belong- 
ing to  her  household,  on  a  charge  of  taking  bribes 
for  some  unlawful  purpose,  and  that  Catharine,  with 
her  accustomed  benevolence  and  humanity,  was 
pleading  for  a  mitigation  of  the  punishment  of  the 
female ;  and  secondly,  which  is  more  important,  it 
would  prove  her  innocence, — for  no  human  being 
can  possibly  imagine  that,  if  guilty,  or  even  accused 
of  infidelity,  she  would  have  had  the  hardihood  to 
plead  before  her  injured  husband  in  behalf  of  a  per- 
son who  had  acted  the  part  of  "  the  pander  to  her 
dishonor. ' '  The  calumnious  story  of  the  garden  may 
therefore  be  considered  to  fall  to  the  ground,  and  as 
the  malicious  invention  of  Count  Bassewitz,  or  of 
the  person  from  whom  he  had  it. 

But  Count  Bassewitz  has  not  done  yet.  It  does 
not  appear,  on  what  day  this  exhibition  of  demolish- 
ing the  glass  took  place ;  but,  according  to  this  min- 
ister, on  the  day  subsequent  to  the  execution  of  the 
sentence,  Peter  conveyed  Catharine,  in  an  open  car- 
riage, under  the  gallows  to  which  Avas  nailed  the  head 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GHEAT.  391 

of  Moens :  the  empress,  without  changing  color  at 
this  dreadful  object,  exclaimed,  ' '  What  a  pity  it  is 
that  there  is  so  much  corruption  among  courtiers !  ' ' 
Coxe,  who  relates  this,  observes  that,  ' '  as  this  event 
was  followed  by  Peter's  death,  and  as  Catharine  re- 
called Madame  Balke,  she  was  suspected  of  shorten- 
ing the  days  of  her  husband  by  poison.  But  not- 
withstanding the  critical  situation  of  Catharine  at 
the  time  of  his  decease,  and  her  subsequent  eleva- 
tion, this  charge  is  destitute  of  proof."  Mr.  Coxe 
might  have  added — and  of  all  probability.  Yoltaire 
avers  that  ' '  Catherine  had  not  left  his  bolster  for 
three  nights,  and  in  her  arms  he  expired  on  the  28th 
January,  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning." 

There  is  something  in  the  history  of  this  family 
of  Moens  which  is  not  very  clear.  Whether  the 
story  told  by  Mrs.  Yigors,  the  wife  of  the  British 
resident,  confirmed  by  Bruce,  and  also  by  General 
Gordon,  respecting  Mademoiselle  Moens,*  has  any 
connection  with  the  Moenses  concerned  in  this  trans- 
action, which  dates  nearly  thirty  years  from  the 
former,  there  are  now  no  means  of  knowing  ;  but 
it  may  be  remarked  that,  while  it  is  told  in  three  or 
four  different  ways  by  as  many  different  writers, 
others  who  lived  at  the  time,  and  therefore  most 
likely  to  be  acquainted  with  what  occurred,  are 
wholly  silent  as  to  any  such  transaction, — I^estesu- 
ranoi,  Mottley,  Lacombe,  Staehlin.  It  has  been  re- 
vived, however,  by  a  French  general,  and  told  in  a 
*  See  above  p.  166. 


392  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

style  so  theatrical,  and  Peter  is  made  to  perform  the 
character  of  Othello  in  a  manner  so  superlatively 
ludicrous,  as  to  divest  the  story  of  all  possible  chance 
of  obtaining  belief.  * 

It  may  be  supposed  that,  as  soon  as  the  breath 
was  out  of  the  body  of  Peter,  the  party,  and  they 
who  composed  it  were  both  numerous  and  respect- 
able, which  favored  the  son  of  the  unfortunate 
Czarovitz,  would  stand  forward  to  urge  his  claim  to 
the  succession,  in  opposition  to  Catharine,  whose 
friends  loudly  declared  that  the  very  act  of  corona- 
tion established  her  claim.  In  this  short  conflict  it 
may  be  remarked  that  not  a  syllable  was  uttered  by 
the  opposite  party  against  her  loyalty  and  fidelity  to 
her  deceased  husband,  which  they  would  have  been 
most  eager  to  bring  forward  on  such  an  occasion,  had 
there  existed  the  slightest  suspicion  of  any  improper 
conduct  on  her  part.  There  were,  indeed,  thrown 
out  some  vague  insinuations,  after  she  mounted  the 
throne,  of  her  having,  as  Coxe  has  observed,  ''short- 
ened the  life  of  Peter  by  poison ;  ' '  but  those  re- 
ports, says  Voltaire,  ' '  which  were  scattered  abroad, 
were  the  mere  opinions  of  some  superficial  for- 
eigners ' '  (he  might  have  added,  of  the  secretaries 
and  hangers-on  of  the  corps  diplomatique),  ''who 
without  any  grounds,  wantonly  indulged  the  wretch- 
ed pleasure  of  imputing  the  worst  of  crimes  to 
those  whose  interests  they  suppose  it  is  to  commit 
them."     But,  as  this  author  very  justly  adds,  "  so 

*  Histoire  de  Russia,  &c.,  par  Segur, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  $9S 

far  was  it  from  being  Catharine's  interest  that  the 
emperor  should  be  sent  out  of  the  world,  that  his 
preservation  was,  of  all  things,  most  necessary  to 
her. ' '  Catharine  in  fact  had  no  reason  to  suppose, 
at  least  no  public  reason  could  be  assigned,  that 
Peter  ever  intended  her  for  the  succession ;  it  was 
contended  indeed  that  the  very  act  of  coronation 
implied  this,  and  more  particularly  as  Peter  placed 
the  crown  himself  on  her  head ;  but  it  does  not  ap- 
pear that  he  ever  signified  any  such  intention,  or 
that  the  coronation  conveyed  any  right  to  the  suc- 
cession. There  were,  besides,  two  heirs  to  the  suc- 
cession living,  his  daughter  Anne  Petrowna,  wife  to 
the  Duke  of  Holstein,  and  his  grandson  Peter,  son 
of  the  unfortunate  Alexis,  both  of  whom  had  their 
partisans,  and  either  of  whom  had  a  priority  of  claim 
to  Catharine.  It  is  plain,  therefore,  that  the  life, 
and  not  the  death  of  Peter,  would  be  the  object  of 
her  care  and  preservation. 

Menzikoff,  who  was  well  aware  that  no  time  was 
to  be  lost,  assembled  the  friends  of  Catharine,  while 
Peter  was  on  the  eve  of  expiring,  removed  the  treas- 
ure to  the  citadel,  secured  the  generals  of  the 
guards,  and  gained  over  the  archbishop  of  l^ovo- 
gorod.  The  empress  was  summoned  from  the  couch 
of  her  dying  consort,  whose  last  sighs  were  breathed 
in  her  arms,  to  appear  before  the  senators,  the  great 
officers  of  state,  the  bishops,  and  the  officers  of  the 
army  and  navy,  and  delivered  a  speech  before  them, 
after  which  the  air  resounded  with  "  Lono^  live  the 


394  LIFE  OF  PETFR  THE  GREAT. 

Empress  Catharine  !  " — a  proclamation  was  im- 
mediately issued  announcing  her  accession :  and 
thus  Catharine  succeeded  to  the  throne  on  the  very 
day  of  her  husband's  demise. 

The  body  was  removed  into  the  great  hall  of  the 
palace,  folloAved  by  the  imperial  family,  the  senate, 
all  persons  of  distinction,  and  an  innumerable  train 
of  citizens ;  it  was  then  laid  on  a  bed  of  state,  and 
everybody  admitted  to  kiss  the  hand  of  the  deceased 
till  the  day  of  his  interment,  which  was  on  the  21st 
March,  1725.  On  the  15th  of  the  same  month  died 
the  princess  Natalia  Petrovvna,  the  emperor's  third 
daughter  by  Catharine.  The  funeral  obsequies  of 
the  father  and  daughter  were  performed  together 
with  great  pomp  and  solemnity. 


The  CHARACTEB  of  Pctcr  the  Great,  as  has  been 
shown  in  the  course  of  this  Memoir,  was  a  strange 
compound  of  contradictions.  Owing  to  the  circum- 
stances in  which  he  was  placed,  and  the  determina- 
tion to  execute  the  plan  he  had  conceived  of  re- 
modeling the  customs  and  institutions  of  his  coun- 
try, he  had  to  maintain  a  constant  struggle  between 
his  good  and  evil  genius.  Nothing  was  too  great, 
nothing  too  little  for  his  comprehensive  mind.  The 
noblest  undertakings  were  mixed  with  the  most 
farcical  amusements ;  and  the  most  laudable  institu- 
tions for  the  benefit  and  improvement  of  his  sub- 
jects  were  followed  by  shaving  their  beards  and 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GHEAt.       3^5 

docking  their  skirts ; — kind-hearted,  benevolent,  and 

humane,  he  set  no  value  on  human  life.     Owing  to 

these,  and  many  other  incongruities,  his  character 

has  necessarily  been  represented  in  various  points  of 

view  and  in  various  colors  by  his  biographers.     Of 

him,  however,  it  can  scarcely  be  said,  that 

"  The  evil  which  men  do,  lives  after  them, 
The  good  is  oft  interred  with  their  bones." 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  foreign  writers,  who 
have  generally  compiled  their  memoirs  from  pol- 
luted sources,  the  reverse  of  the  aphorism  may  be 
applied  to  Peter.  His  niemory,  among  his  country- 
men, who  ought  to  be  the  best  judges,  and  of  whom 
he  was  at  once  the  scourge  and  the  benefactor,  is 
held  in  the  highest  veneration,  and  is  consecrated 
in  their  history  and  their  public  monuments  to  ever- 
lasting fame.  The  magnificent  equestrian  statue, 
erected  by  Catharine  II. ;  the  waxen  figure  of 
Peter  in  the  museum  of  the  academy  founded  by 
himself ;  the  dress,  the  sword,  and  the  hat  which 
he  wore  at  the  battle  of  Poltava,  the  last  pierced 
through  with  a  ball ;  the  horse  that  he  rode  in  that 
battle ;  the  trousers,  worsted  stockings,  shoes,  and 
cap,  which  he  wore  at  Zaandam,  all  in  the  same 
apartment ;  his  two  favorite  dogs,  his  turning-lathe 
and  tools,  with  specimens  of  his  workmanship ;  the 
iron  bar  which  he  forged  with  his  own  hand  at 
Olonitz ;  the  Little  Grandsire,  so  carefully  preserved 
as  the  first  germ  of  the  Russian  navy;  and  the 
wooden  hut  in  which  he  lived  while  superintending 


396  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

the  first  foundation  of  St.  Petersburg ; — these,  and  a 
thousand  other  tangible  memorials,  all  preserved 
with  the  utmost  care,  speak  in  most  intelligible 
language  the  opinion  which  the  Russians  hold  of 
the  Father  of  his  Country.  , 

The  following  is  transcribed  from  the  History  of 
Peter  the  Great,  by  Major-general  Gordon,  who 
had  many  opportunities  of  knowing  personally,  and 
hearing  from  others,  the  leading  features  of  his  char- 
acter : — 

''  Thus  died  Peter  I.  Emperor  of  Russia,  who 
certainly  deserved  the  epithet  Great  as  much  as  any 
prince  that  ever  lived.  When  we  consider  the 
method  he  took  to  reform  his  empire ;  his  drawing 
the  natives,  by  degrees,  into  a  taste  for  military 
affairs,  beginning. himself  at  the  lowest  degree  to 
show  example  to  others ;  his  traveling  into  foreign 
countries  to  observe  the  customs  and  manners  of 
the  inhabitants;  his  raising,  disciplining,  and  sup- 
porting such  great  armies  and  fleets ;  his  introduc- 
ing learning,  manufactures,  and  handicrafts  of  all 
kinds ;  with  the  great  length  to  which  he  brought 
commerce  and  navigation,  things  altogether  un- 
known to  that  people;  the  prudent  measures  he 
took  to  weaken  and  reduce  his  enemies ;  in  short, 
the  reforming  his  country  in  every  particular,  as 
well  the  ecclesiastical  state  as  the  civil,  is  so  extra- 
ordinary, that  I  do  not  believe,  since  the  creation 
of  the  world,  ever  monarch  was  at  so  great  pains, 
or  did  the  like ;  and  all  within  the  space  of  thirty 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  397 

years.  The  great  fatigue  he  underwent,  together 
with  his  other  excesses,  shortened  his  days.  He 
was  severe  rather  than  cruel,  never  pardoned  a 
malefactor,  except  those  of  his  own  blood,  and  some 
few  of  his  greatest  favorites.  He  looked  upon 
some  things  as  crimes,  which  in  other  countries  are 
not  treated  with  the  severity  they  deserve, — such  as 
concussion  and  taking  of  bribes.  His  leaving  the 
empire  to  that  once  mean  woman,  Catharine,  was  a 
surprise,  not  only  to  Eussia,  but  the  whole  world : 
yet,  considering  the  great  affection  and  esteem  he 
always  had  for  her,  his  confidence  in  her  prudence 
and  justice,  and  the  many  eminent  services  she  had 
done  him,  it  was  the  most  prudent  step  he  could 
take,  and  nothing  less  than  what  he  ought  to  have 
done ;  for  if  he  had  left  the  empire  to  his  grandson, 
Prince  Peter,  who  succeeded  her,  she  and  her 
children  had  been  sent  to  Siberia,  or  some  worse 
place,  where  she  would  have  ended  her  days  in 
misery ;  the  leaving  her  in  possession  of  the  whole 
was  the  only  means  to  insure  her  safety. 

' '  He  Avas  at  little  or  no  expense  about  his  person ; 
and  by  living  rather  like  a  private  gentleman  than 
a  prince,  he  saved  wholly  that  great  expense  which 
other  monarchs  are  at  in  supporting  the  grandeur  of 
their  courts.  He  was  a  lover  of  company  and  a 
man  of  much  humor  and  pleasantry,  exceedingly 
facetious,  and  of  vast  natural  parts.  He  took  his 
bottle  heartily,  so  must  all  the  company ;  for  when 
be  ^vas  merry  himself  j  he  loved  to  see  everybody 


398  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

SO ;  though  at  the  same  time  he  could  not  endure 
habitual  drinkers.  He  never  kept  guards  about  his 
person,  nor  was  ever  accompanied  by  above  five  or 
six  persons,  at  most.  He  never  could  abide  cere- 
mony, but  loved  to  be  spoken  to  frankly  and  with- 
out reserve.  To  sum  up  all,  his  fellow  never  sat 
upon  that  throne;  and  I  question  very  much,  if 
ever  another  of  so  great  abilities  will  succeed 
him!  "* 

''I  viewed,"  says  Coxe,  "not  without  peculiar 
veneration  and  awe,  the  sepulchre  which  contains 
the  body  of  Peter  I. ;  the  sternness,  or  rather  the 
ferocity  of  whose  disposition  neither  spared  age,  nor 
sex,  nor  the  dearest  connections :  and  who  yet,  with 
a  strong  degree  of  compunction,  was  accustomed  to 
say,  '  I  can  reform  my  people,  but  I  cannot  reform 
myself. '  A  royal  historian  has  justly  observed  of 
Peter,  that  he  redeemed  the  cruelties  of  a  tyrant  by 
the  virtues  of  a  legislator.  We  must  readily  allow 
that  he  considerably  reformed  and  civilized  his  sub- 
jects ;  that  he  created  a  navy,  and  new-modeled  his 
army;  that  he  encouraged  the  arts  and  sciences, 
promoted  agriculture  and  commerce,  and  laid  the 
foundation  of  Russian  grandeur.  But,  insteaxl  of 
exclaiming  in  the  language  of  panegyric 

Erubesce,  ars  !    Hie  vir  maximus  tibi  nihil  debuit ; 
Exulta,  Natura  I    Hoc  stupendium  tuum  est  \ — 

*  Gordon's  Historj"^  of  Peter  the  Great, 
f  Blush,  Art !  this  liero  owed  thee  nothing  ; 
Exult,  Nature  !  for  this  prodigy  is  all  thy  own. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  399 

we  may,  on  the  contrary,  venture  to  regret  that  he 
was  not  taught  the  lessons  of  humanity ;  that  his 
sublime  but  unruly  genius  was  not  controlled  and 
improved  by  proper  culture;  nor  his  savage  nature 
corrected  and  softened  by  the  refinements  of  art. 
And  if  Peter  failed  in  enlightening  the  mass  of  his 
subjects  to  the  full  measure  of  his  wishes,  the  failure 
was  occasioned  by  his  own  precipitate  temper,  by 
the  chimerical  idea  of  introducing  the  arts  and  sci- 
ences by  force,  and  of  performing  in  a  moment  what 
can  only  be  the  gradual  work  of  time,  by  violating 
the  established  customs  of  his  people,  and,  in  con- 
tradiction to  the  dictates  of  sound  policy,  requiring 
an  immediate  sacrifice  of  prejudices  sanctioned  by 
ages.  In  a  word,  his  failure  was  the  failure  of  a 
superior  genius  wandering  without  a  guide ;  and  the 
greatest  eulogium  we  can  justly  offer  to  his  extra- 
ordinary character  is,  to  allow  that  his  virtues  were 
his  own,  and  his  defects  those  of  education  and 
country.* 

Eugene  Schuyler  says :  *  ^  Among  the  higher 
classes  it  is  the  fashion  to  speak  of  him  as  a  demi- 
god, and  writers  scarcely  mention  his  name  without 
adding,  '  that  man  of  genius. '  Even  those  who 
blame  the  way  in  which  he  forcibly  warped  the  cur- 
rent of  Kussian  history,  render  homage  to  his  great 
qualities.  As  Kostomarof  says :  '  He  loved  Eussia, 
loved  the  Russian  people — loved  it  not  in  the  sense 
of  the  mass  of  Russians  contemporary  with  and  sub- 
*  Travels  in  Pgland,  Russia,  &c.,  by  W.  Coxe,  A.  M. 


400  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

ject  to  him,  but  in  the  sense  of  that  ideal  to  which 
he  wished  to  bring  the  people.  For  that  reason, 
this  love  constitutes  that  great  quality  in  him  \vhich 
causes  us,  even  against  our  will,  to  love  him  per- 
sonally, leaving  out  of  view  his  bloody  tribunals 
and  all  his  demoralizing  despotism,  which  has  ex- 
ercised a  baneful  influence  even  on  posterity.  On 
account  of  Peter's  love  of  the  ideal  of  the  Russian 
people,  a  Russian  will  love  Peter  as  long  as  he  does 
not  himself  lose  this  national  ideal,  and  for  this  love 
will  pardon  in  him  all  that  lies  Avith  such  heavy 
weight  on  his  memory." 

Among  all  the  summaries  of  the  character  and 
achievements  of  Peter  the  Great,  none  is  more  judi- 
cious than  the  following  by  John  Lord :  ' '  Peter  be- 
queathed to  his  successors  a  centralized  empire,  a 
large  and  disciplined  army,  a  respectable  navy,  and 
many  improvements  in  agriculture,  manufacture, 
commerce,  and  the  arts, — yea,  schools  and  universi- 
ties for  the  education  of  the  higher  classes. 

' '  Whatever  may  have  been  the  faults  of  Peter, 
history  cannot  accuse  him  of  ingratitude,  or  insin- 
cerity, or  weak  affections, — nothing  of  which  is 
seen  in  his  treatment  of  the  honest  Dutchman,  in 
whose  yard  he  worked  as  a  common  laborer ;  of  Le 
Fort,  whom  he  made  admiral  of  his  fleet;  or  of 
Mentchikof ,  whom  he  elevated  to  the  second  place 
in  his  empire.  Peter  was  not  a  great  warrior,  but 
he  created  armies.     He  had  traits  in  common  with 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  401 

barbarians,  but  he  bequeathed  a  new  civilization, 
and  dispelled  the  hereditary  darkness.  He  owed 
nothing  to  art ;  he  looms  up  as  a  prodigy  of  Nature. 
He  cared  nothing  for  public  opinion ;  he  left  the 
moral  influence  of  a  great  example.  He  began  with 
no  particular  aim  except  to  join  his  country  to  the 
sea ;  he  bequeathed  a  policy  of  indefinite  expansion. 
He  did  not  leave  free  institutions,  for  his  country 
was  not  prepared  for  them ;  but  he  animated  thirty 
millions  with  an  intense  and  religious  loyalty.  He 
did  not  emancipate  serfs  ;  but  he  bequeathed  a 
power  which  enabled  his  successors  to  loosen  fetters 
with  safety.  He  degraded  nobles ;  but  his  nobles 
would  have  prevented,  if  they  could,  the  emancipa- 
tion of  the  people.  He  may  have  wasted  his  ener- 
gies in  condescending  to  mean  details,  and  insisting 
on  doing  everything  with  his  own  hands,  from  drum- 
mer to  general,  and  from  cabin  boy  to  admiral,  win- 
ning battles  with  his  own  sword,  and  singing  in  the 
choir  as  head  of  the  Church ;  but  in  so  doing  he 
made  the  mistake  of  Charlemagne,  whom  he  strik- 
ingly resembles  in  his  iron  will,  his  herculean  ener- 
gies, and  his  enlightened  mind.  He  could  not  con- 
vert his  subjects  from  cattle  into  men,  even  had  he 
wished,  for  civilization  is  a  long  and  tedious  pro- 
cess ;  but  he  made  them  the  subjects  of  a  great  em- 
pire, destined  to  spread  from  sea  to  sea.  Certainly 
he  was  in  advance  of  his  people ;  he  broke  away 
from   the  ideas   which   enslaved  them.     He    may 

26 


402  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

have  been  despotic,  and  inexorable,  and  hard- 
hearted ;  but  that  was  just  such  a  man  as  his  coun- 
try needed  for  a  ruler.  Mr.  Motley  likens  him  to 
'  a  huge  engine  placed  upon  the  earth  to  effect  a 
certain  task,  working  its  mighty  arms  night  and 
day  with  ceaseless  and  untiring  energy,  crashing 
through  all  obstacles,  and  annihilating  everything 
in  its  path  with  the  unfeeling  precision  of  gigantic 
mechanism. '  I  should  say  he  was  an  instrument  of 
Almighty  power  to  bring  good  out  of  evil,  and  pre- 
pare the  way  for  a  civilization  the  higher  elements 
of  which  he  did  not  understand,  and  with  which  he 
would  not  probably  have  sympathized. ' ' 


NOTE  ON  THE  ALLEGED  WILL  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

In  this  biography  there  is  no  mention  of  a  remarkable  doc- 
ument, known  as  the  will,  or  testament,  of  Peter  the  Great. 
Though  that  testament  is  now  conceded  to  be  a  forgery,  yet 
for  many  years  it  was  generally  accepted  as  genuine  and  it 
had  no  slight  influence  in  forming  the  political  opinions  of 
both  English  and  French  people  in  reference  to  Russia.  It  is 
probable  that  Barrow's  silence  on  the  subject  is  due  to  the 
fact  that  he  was  not  aware  that  such  a  document  was  in  ex- 
istence, for  it  did  not  come  under  the  notice  of  the  general 
public  until  the  Crimean  war.  In  the  year  1854  one  J.  Cor- 
reard  published  a  map  of  the  territorial  accessions  of  Russia 
from  Peter  I.  to  that  time,  and  on  the  margin  he  quoted  the 
will  of  Peter  the  Great,  saying  :  "  This  political  testament 
was  sketched  out  by  Peter  I.  in  1710,  after  the  battle  of  Pol- 
tava, revised  by  him  in  1722  after  the  peace  of  Mystad,  and 
put  into  definite  form  by  Chancellor  Osterman."  It  is  plain 
that  the  act  of  publishing  the  testament,  whether  genuine  or 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  403 

a  forgery,  at  that  particular  time  was  intended  as  a  means  of 
rousing  a  public  sentiment  hostile  to  Russia. 

To  go  back  now  to  the  beginning  of  the  history  of  this  sub- 
ject, it  was  in  the  year  1812  that  Charles  Louis  Lesur  wrote, 
at  the  command  of  Napoleon,  a  volume  entitled  :  *'  Progress 
of  the  Russian  Power,  from  its  Origin  to  the  Beginning  of 
the  Nineteenth  Centurj^."  The  purpose  of  this  book  was  to 
create  a  hostile  feeling  against  Russia,  and  to  justify  Napoleon 
in  his  intended  campaign  against  that  country.  In  pursu- 
ance of  this  purpose  this  document  was  inserted  in  the  book  ; 
but  whether  it  was  the  creation  of  Lesur,  or  whether  he 
obtained  a  copy  of  it  from  some  other  source,  true  or  false, 
cannot  now  be  known.  It  sufficiently  answered  its  purpose 
by  showing  that  the  steady  and  relentless  aggressions  of 
Russia  are  a  menace  to  European  civilization.  This  *'  plan 
for  encompassing  Europe  "  advocated  ' '  approach  as  near  as 
possible  to  Constantinople  and  towards  the  Indies  ;  wars  with 
Turkey  and  Persia  ;  possession  of  the  shores  of  the  Black  Sea 
and  the  Baltic,"  etc.  It  may  here  be  said  that  these  aggres- 
sions are  a  fact,  and  that  they  seem  to  indicate  a  settled  and 
unchanging  line  of  policy,  whether  Peter  I.  left  any  will  or 
not ;  and  under  the  circumstances  it  is  not  surprising  that 
the  reference  to  the  will  made  a  deep  impression,  and  that 
there  was  not  just  then,  nor  at  the  time  of  the  Crimean  war, 
any  effort  to  determine  the  real  existence  of  such  a  will.  It 
was  naturally  accepted  without  question,  because  it  fitted 
the  circumstances. 

In  1836  Frederic  Gaillard  published  the  Memoirs  of  the 
Chevalier  d'Eon,  in  which  he  quoted  the  will.  Thirty  years 
later  the  same  author,  who  had  in  the  meantime  come  to  the 
United  States  to  edit  a  French  paper,  published  a  new  edition 
of  the  Memoirs.  In  this  he  freely  admitted  that  the  first  edi- 
tion contained  many  falsehoods,  but  he  gravely  insisted  that 
the  new  edition  was  entirely  trustworthy  and  based  on  au- 
thentic documents  I  It  is  true  that  the  Chevalier  d'Eon  was 
favorably  received  in  St.  Petersburg,  and  it  is  entirely  cred- 
ible that  he  may  have  received  favors  not  accorded  to  other 
visitors.  But  the  claim  that  he,  who  by  the  way  was  not  a 
Russian  scholar,  had  access  to  the  "secret  archives,"  is  alto 


404:  LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT. 

gether  too  vague  to  command  serious  consideration.  It  is 
not  stated  where  these  secret  archives  were  kept,  nor  what 
they  were,  nor  how  it  came  about  that  so  great  a  favor  was 
conferred  on  him  alone.  That  story  rests  upon  the  baseless 
fabric  of  a  vision. 

It  was  late  in  the  nineteenth  century  before  the  genuine- 
ness of  this  alleged  will  was  disputed  by  students  of  history. 
In  1863  Dr.  Berkholz,  of  Riga,  asserted  that  the  will  was  a 
forgery,  probably  dictated  by  Napoleon  I.  The  Czars  have 
always  denied  the  existence  of  any  such  will.  The  original 
document  has  never  been  produced  nor  satisfactorily  ac- 
counted for.  There  are  a  few  antiquarians,  including  W.  J. 
Thoms,  who  still  hold  to  the  belief  of  its  genuineness,  but 
the  number  of  such  is  so  few  that  they  are  hardly  worth 
counting,  even  if  their  votes  are  worth  weighing.  Excepting 
in  large  libraries,  it  is  difficult  to  find  to  day  a  copy  of  this 
document,  while  the  subject  is  omitted  from  nearly  all  the 
cyclopedias.  It  may  thus  be  seen  that  the  subject  is  con- 
sidered as  closed.  It  is  practically  certain  that  Peter  died 
without  making  a  will.  No  Russian,  either  scholar  or  official, 
believes  that  he  made  one. 

One  further  suggestion  may  be  made  here.  If  the  will  was 
a  fabrication  produced  in  1812  by  Lesur  at  the  command  of 
Napoleon,  then  it  was  virtually  the  work  of  Napoleon  himself. 
He  may  have  sketched  the  main  outlines  for  Lesur  to  com- 
plete. If  this  were  so,  it  affords  an  explanation  of  the  fitness 
of  the  document.  No  man  was  better  able  than  Napoleon  to 
understand  Peter  the  Great.  Peter's  plans  may  not  have 
reached  out  into  the  future  ;  but  if  he  had  planned  for  future 
centuries,  if  he  had  laid  down  a  policy  for  the  subsequent 
growth  of  liis  country,  that  plan  and  that  policy  would  not 
have  differed  essentially  from  the  document  published  by 
order  of  Napoleon  under  the  name  of  the  last  will  of  Peter. 
Napoleon  understood  the  mind  of  the  great  Muscovite.  Nor 
is  it  less  strange  that  the  ideas  of  national  expansion  have 
been,  without  the  aid  of  a  written  document,  unchangeably 
fixed  in  the  minds  of  all  the  Russian  powers  since  Peter's  day. 
The  unwritten  will  of  Peter  of  Russia  may,  in  its  steadfast- 
»es8,  be  compared  to  the  unwritten  constitution  of  England, 


LIFE  OF  PETER  THE  GREAT.  405 

Nearly  a  century  has  passed  since  Napoleon  ordered  the  writ- 
ing of  the  will,  and  nearly  two  centuries  since  the  death  of 
Peter  ;  but  the  Russian  policy  has  not  swerved,  the  same  ideas 
are  more  persistent  and  urgent  as  the  centuries  pass. 

Henry  Ketcham. 


THE  END. 


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Kidnapped.     By  R.   L.   Stevenson,  i 
Kit  and  Kitty.     R.  D.  Blackmore.  ' 
Knickerbocker's    History    of    New 

York.     Washington  Irving. 
Kith  and  Kin.     Jessie  FotherglU. 
Knight  Errant.     By   Edna   LyaU. 
Koran.     Sale's  Translation. 
Lady  of  the  Lake.     Sir  W.  Scott. 
Lady  with  the  Pubies.  E.  Marlltt. 
Lalla   Rookfa.     Thomas  Moore. 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii.     By  BoIp 
wer-Lytton. 


BURT'S  HOME  L,IBRART— Continued.     Price  @1.00  per  Copy. 


Lamplighter.     Maria  S.  Cummins. 

Last  of  the  Barons.  Bulwer-Lyt- 
ton. 

Last  of  the  Mohicans.  By  James 
Fenlmore  Cooper. 

Lay  of  the  Last  MinstreL  By  Sir 
Walter  Scott. 

Lena  Rivers.     Mary  J.  Holmes. 

Life  of  Christ.     By  F.  W.  Farrar. 

Light  of  Asia.     Edwin  Arnold. 

Light  that  flailed,  The.  Rudyard 
Kipling. 

Little  Dorrit.     Charles  Dickens. 

Longfellow's  Poems.      (Early.) 

Lorna  Dooue.     R.   D.   Blackmore. 

Louise  de  la  Valliere.  Alexandre 
Dumas. 

Ix)ve  Me  Little,  Love  Me  Long. 
By   Charles   Reade. 

Lover  or  Friend.     Rosa  N.  Carey. 

Lowell's  Poems.     (Early.) 

Lucile.     By  Owen  Meredith. 

Macaulay's  Poems. 

Maid  of  Sker.  By  E.  D.  Black- 
more. 

Makers  of  Florence.  By  Mrs.  011- 
phant. 

Makers  of  Venice.  By  Mrs.  011- 
phant. 

Man  and  Wife.     Wilkle  Collins. 

Man  in  Black.     Stanley  Weyman. 

Man  in  the  Iron  Mask.  By  Alex- 
andre Dumas.         > 

Marguerite  de  Valols.  By  Alex- 
andre Dumas. 

Marmion.     Sir  Walter  Scott. 

Marquis  of  Lossie.  George  Mac- 
donald. 

Martin  Chuzzlewlt.  By  Charles 
Dickens. 

Mary  Anerley.     R.  D.  Blackmore. 

Mary  St.  John.     Rosa  N.  Carey. 

Master  of  Ballantrae.  By  R.  L. 
Stevenson. 

Masterman  Ready ,  By  Captain 
Marryat. 

Meadow  Brook.     Mary  J.  Holmes. 

Meditations  of  Marcus  Aurelius. 
Translated  by  George  Long. 

Memoirs  of  a  Physician.  Alexan- 
dre Dumas. 

Merle's  Crusade.     Rosa  N.  Carey. 

Micah  Clarke.     A.   Conan  Doyle. 

Michael  StrogofC.     Jules  Verne. 

Middlemarch.     By  George  Eliot. 

Midshipman  Easy.  By  Captain 
Marryat. 

Mill  on  the  Floss.     George  Eliot. 

Milton's  Poems. 

Mine  Own  People.     R.   Kipling. 

Molly  Bawn.     "The  Duchess." 

Monastery.      Sir    Walter    Scott. 

Moonstone.     By  Wilkie  Collins. 

Moore's  Poems.     Thomas  Moore. 

Mosses  from  an  Old  Manse.  By 
Nathaniel  Hawthorne. 

Mysterious  Island.     Jules  Verne. 

Natural  Law  in  the  Spiritual 
World.     Henry   Drummond. 

Nellie's  Memories.  Rosa  N.  Carey. 

Newcomes.  By  W.  M.  Thackeray. 

Nicholas  Nickleby.  Chas.  Dickens. 

Ninety-Three.-   By   Victor  Hugo. 

Not  Like  Other  Girls.  By  Eo8a 
N.  Carey. 


No  Name.     By  Wilkie  Collins. 
Odyssey.     Pope's  Translation. 
Old    Curiosity    Shop.     By    Charles 

Dickens. 
Old    Mam'selle's    Secret.     By    B. 

Marlitt. 
Old  Mortality.     Sir  Walter  Scott- 
Old  Myddleton's  Money.     By  Mary 

Cecil   Hay. 
Oliver    Twist.     Charles    Dickens. 
Only  a  Word.     By  George  Ebers. 
Only  the  Governess.     By  Rosa  N. 

Carey. 
On  the  Heights.     B.   Auerbach. 
Origin  of  Species.     Chas.  Darwin. 
Other  Worlds  than  Ours.     Richard 

Proctor. 
Our  Bessie.     By  Rosa  N.  Carey,     t 
Our   Mutual   Friend.     By    Charles^ 

Dickens. 
Pair  of  Blue  Eyes.     Thos.  Hardy., 
Past  and  Present.     Thos.  Carlyle. 
Pathfinder.     James  F.    Cooper. 
Pendennis.     W.  M.  Thackeray. 
Pere  Goriot.     H.  de  Balzac. 
Peveril  of  the  Peak.     By  Sir  Wal- 
ter Scott. 
Phantom    Rickshaw,    The.      End* 

yard  Kipling. 
Phra,  The  Phoenician.     By  Edwin 

L.  Arnold. 
Picciola.     By  X.    B.    Salntine. 
Pickwick  Papers.     Chas.  Dickens, 
Pilgrim's  Progress.    John  Bunyan. 
Pillar    of    Fire.     By    Rev.    J.    H. 

Ingraham. 
Pilot,  The.     By  James  F.  Cooper. 
Pioneers.     By  James  F.  Cooper. 
Pirate.     By   Sir  Walter  Scott. 
Plain   Tales   from   the   Hills.     By 

Rudyard  Kipling. 
Poe's  Poems.     By  Edgar  A.  Foe. 
Pope's  Poems.     Alexander  Pope.   , 
Prairie.     By  James  F.  Cooper. 
Pride  and  Prejudice.  Jane  Austen. 
Prince    of    the    House    of    David. 

By  Rev.  J.   H.   Ingraham. 
Princess  of  the  Moor.     E.  Marlitt. 
Princess  of  Thule.      Wm.    Black. 
Procter's     Poems.      By     Adelaide 

Procter. 
Professor.     Charlotte  Brontg. 
Prue  and  I.     By  Geo.  Wm.  Curtis 
Queen     Hortense.      Louisa    Muhl  < 

bach. 
Queenle's  Whim.  Rosa  N.  Carey. 
Queen's  Necklace.  Alex.  Dumas 
Quentin  Durward.  Walter  Scott. 
Redgauntlet.  Sir  Walter  Scott. 
Red  Rover.  By  James  F.  Cooper. 
Reign  of  Law.  Duke  of  Argyla 
Reveries    of    a    Bachelor.     By    It 

Marvel. 
Reynard  the  FoXo     Joseph  JacobO- 
Rhoda  Fleming.     By  George  Me^ 

edith. 
Rienzi.     By  Bulwer-Lytton. 
Robert  Ord's  Atonement.  By  Eo8« 

N.  Carey. 
Robinson   Crusoe.     Daniel  Defoe. 
Rob  Roy.     By  Sir  Walter  Scott. 
Romance  of  Two  Worlds.       Marl© 

Core  Hi. 
Romola.     By  George  Eliot. 
Eery  O'More.    By  Sai^ael  Lover* 


HOBT'S  HOME  lilBR ART -Continued.     Price  Sl.OO  per  Copy. 


Bossettl's  Poems.     Gabriel  Dante 

Rossettl. 
Royal  Edinburgh.     Mrs.  Ollphant. 
Saint  Michael.     By  E.   Werner. 
Schonberg-Cotta  Family.     By  Mrs. 

Andrew  Charles. 
Sartor  Resartus.     Thos.  Carlyle. 
Scarlet    Letter,    The.      Nathaniel 

Hawthorne. 
Schopenhauer's      Essays.      Trans- 
lated by  T.  B.  Saunders. 
Scottish  Chiefs.     By  Jane  Porter. 
Scott's  Poems.     Walter  Scott. 
Search    for    Basil   Lyndhurst.    By 

Rosa  N.  Carey. 
Second  Wife.     By  B.  Marlitt. 
Seekers  after  God.     F.  W.  Farrar. 
Self-Help.     By  Samuel  Smiles. 
Sense    and    Sensibility.     By    Jane 

Austen. 
Sesame  and  Lilies.     John  Buskin. 
Seven  Lamps  of  Architecture.     By 

John  Ruskln. 
Shadow  of  a  Crime.     Hall  Caine. 
Shelley's  Poems. 
Shirley.     By  Charlotte  BrontS. 
Sign   of   the   Four,    The.     By    A. 

Gonan  Doyle. 
Silas  Marner.     By  George  Eliot. 
Silence    of    Dean    Maitland.     By 

Maxwell  Grey. 
Sin  of  Joost  Avelingh.    Maarten 

Maartens. 
Sir  Gibbie.     George  Macdonald. 
Sketch  Book.     Washington  Irving. 
Social    Departure,    A.     By    Sarah 

Jeannette  Duncan. 
Soldiers  Three.     Rudyard  Kipling. 
Son  of  Hagar.     By  Hall  Caine. 
Springhaven.     R.  D.  Blackmore. 
Spy,  The.     By  James  F.  Cooper. 
Story   of   an    African   Farm.     By 

Olive  Schrelner. 
Story  of  John  G.  Paton.     By  Rev. 

Jas.   Paton. 
Strathmore.     By  "Guida." 
St.  Ronan's  Well.     Walter  Scott. 
Study  in  Scarlet,  A.     By  A.  Conan 

Doyle. 
Surgeon's  Daughter.     By  Sir  Wal- 
ter Scott. 
Swinburne's  Poems. 
Swiss  Family  Robinson.     By  Jean 

Rudolph  Wyss. 
Taking  the  Bastile.    Alex.  Damab. 
Tale  of  Two  Cities.      By  Charles 

Dickens, 
ffales  from  Shakespeare.     Charles 

and  Mary  Lamb. 
Tales  of  a  Traveller.     By  Wash- 
ington Irving. 
Talisman.     Sir  Walter  Scott. 
Tanglewood  Tales.     By  Nathaniel 

Hawthorne. 
Tempest  and  Sunshine.     By  Mary 

J.  Holmes. 
Ten  Nights  In  a  Bar  Boom.     By 

T.  S.   Arthur. 
Tennyson's  Poems. 
Ten   Years  Later.     Alex.   Dumas. 
Terrible  Temptation.     By  Charles 

Reade. 
Tbaddeus    of    Warsaw.     By   Jane 

Porter. 
Bbelnw.    By  Marie  CoceUU 


Thirty  Years'  War.     By  Frederick 

Schiller. 
Thousand  Miles  Dp  the  Nile.    By 

Amelia  B.  Edwards. 
Three  Guardsmen.     Alex.   Dumas. 
Three  Men  in  a  Boat.     By  J.  K. 

Jerome. 
Thrift.     By  Samuel  Smiles. 
Toilers  of  the  Sea.     Victor  Hugo. 
Tom  Brown  at  Oxford.     By  Thos. 

Hughes. 
Tom    Brown's    School    Days.     By 

Thomas  Hughes. 
Tom  Burke  of  "Ours."     By  Ghas. 

Lever. 
Tour    of    the    World    In    Eighty' 

Days.     By  Jules  Verne. 
Treasure    Island.      By    R.    LouiS 

Stevenson. 
Twenty  Thousand  Leagues  Under 

the  Sea.     By  Jules  Verne. 
Twenty    Years    After.     By    Alex- 
andre Dumas. 
Twice  Told  Tales.     By  Nathaniel 

Hawthorne. 
Two  Admirals.     J.  F.  Cooper. 
Two  Years  Before  the  Mast.     Bj 

R.  H.  Dana,  Jr. 
Darda.     By  George  Ebers. 
Uncle  Max.     By  Rosa  N.  Carey. 
Uncle  Tom's  Cabin.     By   Harriet 

Beecher  Stowe. 
Under  Two  Flags.     "Ouida." 
Undine.    De  La  Motte  Fouque. 
Unity    of    Nature.     By    Duke    of 

Argyle. 
Vanity  Fair.     W.  M.  Thackeray. 
Vendetta.     By  Marie  Corelll. 
Vicar    of    Wakefield.     By    Olive. 

Goldsmith, 
Vlcomte  de   Bragelonne.     Alexan- 
dre Dumas. 
Villette.     By  Charlotte  Bronte. 
Virginians.     W.   M.   Thackeray. 
Water  Babies.     Charles  Kingsley. 
Water  Witch.     James  F.   Cooper. 
Waverley.     By  Sir  Walter  Scott. 
Wee  Wifle.     By  Rosa  N.   Carey. 
Westward  Ho!     Charles  Kingsley. 
We  Two.     By  Edna  Lyall. 
What's  Mine's  Mine.     By  George 

Macdonald. 
When  a  Man's  Single.     By  J.  M.' 

Barrie.  i 

White    Company.      By    A.  Doyle. 
Whittler's  Poems. 
Wide,    Wide    World.      By    SusaO 

Warner. 
Window  In  Thrums.  J.  M.  Barrie« 
Wing  and  Wing.     J.  F.  Cooper. 
Woman  in  White.     Wilkie  Collins* 
Won  by  Waiting.     Edna  Lyall. 
Wonder  Book,    A.     For   Boys  and 

Girls.     By   N.    Hawthorne. 
Woodstock.     By  Sir  Walter  Scott. 
Wooed  and  Married.     By  Rosa  N. 

Carey. 
Wooing  O't.     By  Mrs.  Alexander. 
Wordsworth's   Poems. 
World  Went  Very  Well  then.    By 

Walter  Besant. 
Wormwood.     By    Marie   Corelll. 
Wreck  of  the  Grosvenor.     By  W, 

Clark  Russell. 
«eDob)a.    By  William  Ware. 


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